Lost and Fallen
by Superdale33
Summary: Nolan Anderson, a member of S.W.A.T., is somehow teleported to Equestria during a raid. In this new land, humans have taken over and enslaved a sentient pony species. As crazy as the situation may be, he must find his way through this world to get back to Earth where he belongs. However, not everything is as straight forward. Rated Teen for language, blood, and sexual references.
1. Chapter 1: Different

**I have never been a part of S.W.A.T., nor have I done extensive research on it. I have only taken a quick look at some procedures, weaponry, and armor for the purposes of this story. If you find something that doesn't seem right, please let me know. Also note that I have taken a few liberties with how S.W.A.T. works that I will not change.**

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**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 1: Different**

A large black van careened down an unknown street, not slowing down for anything. The armored siding was shining in the sun that was only just rising over the buildings of Los Angeles. Four bold letters printed in white were on either side, telling whomever saw it that it was a S.W.A.T. van.

Another sharp turn to the left made everyone sway inside the van, but it hardly bothered us. We were all set for a firefight; wearing combat vests with the white S.W.A.T. logo on the back. Our attire was entirely black with only the white S.W.A.T. logo to say otherwise. Combat helmets were worn over the ski masks that hid our identity. To add to the secrecy, we also wore dark tinted military goggles strapped over our eyes.

What we were wearing was only a part of what was on my mind at the moment. Our destination and the eventual battle was all I could think of. It was normal; the other five men with me would tell you the same thing. Our variety of weapons were held loosely in our hands, patiently waiting to be fired in the upcoming fight.

These moments were best left for silence, so everyone can focus on the objective. Sadly, it wasn't the case for a certain individual. A new guy had joined our ranks; no one was thrilled, as usual. He wasn't given a party or even a congratulations. He was simply given the position and was expected to be ready.

Though this was his first time, none of us told him to shut up. Whether it was out of respect, or knowing that these were the times to prepare, I didn't know, but I was certainly getting irritated.

"Oh man!" he mumbled excitedly to himself, examining his MP5 for the third time, "this is so exciting! Can you believe that I was accepted for S.W.A.T.?!"

I shook my head, wishing he would keep quiet like the rest of us. No one responded to his question, hoping he would get the message. Some of the other members used to behave like this - enthusiastic at the prospect of stopping gung ho criminals. One single mission was all it took to teach them that this wasn't a game. This guy didn't catch on to our subtle hint, however, and instead went on with his ramblings.

"How about you, Anderson?" he inquired to me specifically. I was hoping he wouldn't ask me, but I suppose sitting next to the chatter box meant you had to interact with him.

"Just call me Nolan," I snapped quietly. Just my luck to be the one to talk with him; I didn't even know his name!

"Oh, uh... alright N-Nolan," he corrected nervously. My tone must have given him the sign that I didn't want to converse. The silence only lasted a second, however, when he decided to speak to me again. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

I gave a calm sigh. I knew that the new guy would have questions, but why did I have to answer them? Maybe it was because I was the sole person to actually acknowledge his existence on this van. If that was the case, I learned my lesson.

"What is it?" I asked rudely.

"Why do you have a revolver instead of a 9mm like the rest of us?" he asked, pointing to the gun that was holstered to my side. The others in the van looked to each other, like the new guy had asked a stupid question. I somehow knew at some point he was going to ask that... I suppose it was a good time, but that didn't mean I had to like answering him.

I unhooked the strap that held the revolver in place, and pulled it out so he could see it fully. "A Smith and Wesson 629 .44 Magnum Revolver," I recited perfectly. If I could see his face, I bet the new guy was in absolute awe at my memory skills.

"It may not be standard issue, but it gets the job done. I call her 'Vesa'," I explained while placing the revolver back in the holster. The new guy watched me do this, as if he was watching someone handle a legendary weapon.

"Why was there a mark on the side of it?" he asked quickly, "Above the handle."

This time, the others in the van looked the other way, performing nervous gestures. They knew it was a sore subject for me, but this guy had no clue. "The same reason I smoke," I brushed off, gripping my dark gray riot shotgun firmly.

"Touchy subject, huh?" he asked, adjusting his grip on his MP5. "I see. I won't ask again."

Although he was a new guy, he knew when something didn't want to be discussed. I had to give him props for that. The others in the van had questioned further, and I had to lash out verbally to get them to back off.

"This may be a little personal," he inquired, rubbing his neck, "But how old were you when you went into S.W.A.T.?"

The question may have seem irrelevant to the mission at hand, but I'm sure he had his reasons. "Twenty four," I answered, looking off to the side. "I'm twenty five now," I added, thinking he would appreciate the additional info.

"I'm only twenty," he responded, his tone suggesting he was ashamed of his age. "I bet you have loads of experience."

"More than most," I admitted, nodding slightly. The new guy must have presumed that I didn't want to speak, as the sounds of the van filled the compartment.

"Have you heard of My Little Pony?" the new guy questioned suddenly, leaning forward towards me. That had to be the strangest question anyone had ever asked me, and I was asked if I had killed anyone before.

"I remember some girls playing with those toys when I was a kid, why?" I replied, honestly curious as to why he would ask a question like that.

"There's this awesome show based off the toys," he revealed, the excitement evident in his voice. I couldn't believe it; a grown man watching a show that was based on a toy made for little girls. The others in the van were unfazed by this knowledge, which was even stranger.

"Why would you watch something like that?" I asked in disbelief.

"You should check it out on your computer sometime, it's great," he expressed, rebounding my question. I may have a computer, but I hardly use it, and the times I do, it's never for entertainment. Even if I did use it for amusement purposes, I think I would avoid a show for little girls.

I didn't tell him this though, putting up my silent demeanor. Not just because I didn't want to talk to the new guy anymore, but also because we were nearing our destination. The driver always banged on the metal sheet that separated us from him. It helped us to deploy as soon as he stopped.

The new kid was already told of this situation, so everyone was checking our gear one last time. Four others held their MP5 sub-machine guns at the ready, while another person and I readied our shotguns. The seconds ticked by as we neared the drop point, and I had that gut wrenching feeling inside me as I always did when I was about to get into a gun battle.

I faintly began to hear the sounds of discharging handguns and the loud pangs the bullets made when they impacted metal. It only got louder as we got closer and closer, to the point where it was difficult to tell where the shooters were. I didn't know how many people were out there, but there must have been a lot.

At that point, some stray bullets were beginning to ricochet off of the armored van we occupied, leaving behind loud ringing noises. The new guy flinched each time a bullet impacted the side, making me give a hidden smile at his jumpy mood. At last, the van came to a halt; it was time to go.

The two men closest to the doors pushed them open, filing out as they did. I was near the back so I was the last to get out. As I was exiting the vehicle, I realized that the gunfire had ceased. That was routine; the other police officers were to retreat to allow us, the big guns, to enter from a side alley. I questioned whether that was wise, since the criminals would know that we were here, but I dropped it later on.

Our team briskly walked down the street towards the line of patrol cars. Many police officers were aiming their guns at a certain three-story building. That must have been where the convicts were. We headed for the man in charge, Captain Moore, to get an overview of the situation. Our S.W.A.T. captain, Sawyer, was the one who spoke with him. Since I was second-in-command, I had to listen to the conversation as well.

"What's the situation?" Sawyer asked in his deep voice, as Moore kept his eyes on the three-story building. Moore was average looking, if not slightly overweight. Of course, being a captain, he could do what he wanted, but not my captain.

"As far as I can tell," Moore began, turning his gaze over to our squad, "the bastards are holed in pretty well. They stopped firing when they saw your S.W.A.T. van roll by. Probably getting ready for your breach."

Sawyer nodded, and gestured at the building for us to get into a breaching position. The rest of us nodded to his order and, as quietly as we could, neared the door in the alley way. The new guy was in front of me, and I could easily hear his heavy breaths. He was definitely nervous, and I knew he would act like that once we were about to get in on the action.

Once we were in the graffiti-filled alleyway, we made a beeline for the deteriorating white door. Sawyer positioned himself to the left of the door, while I stood further to the left behind him. Another person stood on the right of the entrance, readying his MP5. The others stood off to the side, ready to provide support if the need arises.

"Remember, team," Sawyer reminded, looking at each of us in turn, "shoot to kill but if they try to surrender, take prisoners."

So it was the usual plan then; kill everyone. I still don't know why he tells us to try to take prisoners, they never surrender. That's why they send us in; to take care of them before they cause anymore damage. I think even Sawyer knew that, but standard procedure probably forced him to tell us each time.

"Anderson," Sawyer commanded sternly, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Breach, bang, and clear."

I gave a curt nod, and Sawyer nodded back. His hand approached the door handle, grasped it in his hand and turned it. The door swung open to a small degree, and there was thankfully no immediate threat. That was my cue.

I grabbed a flash bang from my belt while holding my shotgun in my left hand. I promptly moved over to the door while at the same time pulling the pin. I threw it in quickly and placed myself back behind Sawyer. The familiar flash of light mixed with the extremely loud sound it emits told us that it went off. The following groans of pain were just icing on the cake.

As soon as the flash bang went off, Sawyer and the person standing to the side entered, weapons at the ready. I heard gunshots as I followed closely behind, but they were disorganized, chaotic; definitely not our own. Apparently the people inside thought they could get a shot on us while disoriented.

Sawyer and the other breacher took out the three men that were nursing their eyes and ears, avoiding the enemy bullets while giving short sprays from their submachine guns effectively. I didn't have to discharge my weapon, and neither did the other members of the squad.

With the short break that was granted us, I took a quick peek at what we were dealing with. The three dead men, sprawled around the room, all wore a red handkerchief over their noses and mouths, crudely hiding who they were. They also wore red baseball caps and dirty shirts. The reason for their combative demeanor wasn't present in the room. But it was probably in the rooms above. The weapons they once wielded were resting next to them; just plain Uzis. This would be easy.

"Alright, team," Sawyer called as we all gathered around, "same plan as usual. Teams of two, and clear each floor. Meet back here when you're finished."

The rest of us nodded, and I finally examined the room we were in. It was all white, there was no furniture, no painted walls, just an empty room. The faint smell of paint was in the air, and the various paint buckets adjacent to the walls added to my conclusion. The complex was probably under renovation. If the rest of the rooms were like this, then the job just got a lot simpler.

I somehow got paired up with the new guy, much to my dismay. I didn't bother asking what his name was; it wasn't the time, and the easy objective would not require it. We were given the third floor, and in my opinion, the easiest floor. Things were going my way that day, to an extent.

The new guy and I rapidly climbed the stairs, which were thankfully closed off, eliminating any thought of an ambush. I had to admit, the new guy was holding up. Sure, he hadn't done any real work yet, but he seemed ready to do his job. As we hopped the last step unto the third floor, I raised by hand into a fist, indicating to halt. The new guy complied, waiting for my next order.

I observed the area we had to clear. There was a small hallway with three doors, one on the left, one on the right, and one at the far end. I gestured to the door to the left, and he got in position to the right of it. I stood to the left, and when he gave me the thumbs up that he was set, I kicked the door down.

It was empty.

There was no one to greet us as we ran in, fingers itching to fire. The new guy gave a small sigh, and I did as well. "One down," I muttered, "Two to go."

He and I left the empty room and took our places on the opposite door. We did the same procedure; he gave the thumbs up and I kicked the door down. It was the same thing as before; empty.

At this point, the new guy was shaking slightly. He was either growing anxious about having to fight someone, or was impatient at not finding anything so far. Either way, I hoped it didn't get us killed.

We had one last room to check, and at that point I hoped it was empty as well. Generally, if the previous two rooms were empty, it meant that the next one would have twice as many men to take down. It's a curse I like to call 'Double n' Nothing'.

The hallway was too narrow to redo the same tactic, so I had to improvise a quick breach plan. Only one of us would be able to enter at a time, that meant that whoever went in first would likely get injured, or worse. That was if the men behind the door knew we were coming, but it wasn't like were we were silent on this floor.

I took a breath, I knew what I had to do. I turned to the new guy, who clutched his MP5 closely to his body, waiting for my orders. I told him the situation given to us by fate, and he was shaking harder.

"S-So am I going to be the one to... e-enter first, sir?" he stammered, staring at the last door like if was about to bite him. I couldn't help but pity him; he thought he would be bringing justice and stuff like that. Now, he thinks he has to risk his life for a simple room.

"No," I answered seriously, and the new guy tilted his head to the side. I guess he thought I was going to command him to do it. "I'll go in first, you take out anybody when you get the chance. Understand?"

I couldn't tell if the new guy was relaxed or agitated more, for he was still shaking. "I understand," he complied, nodding, as his shakes toned down a little.

I nodded back, and headed for the accursed door, raising my shotgun to eye level as I began hearing my heartbeat. I still had one more flash bang; I suppose that moment was a good time as ever. I lowered my shotgun only slightly while my right hand went to retrieve it, and I tossed it lightly to myself. Strange how I didn't use it in the other two rooms.

I shrugged the thought off, and held my shotgun vertically to balance it out. I pulled the handle of the door, and opened it only a crack. Afterwards, I pulled the pin of the flash bang and shoved it through the small crack of the door. The flash bang went off and I charged through the door, gun at the ready.

The next thing I knew, someone had tackled me from my left side, sending both of us to the floor. My shotgun was thrown out of my hold from the impact, and I was wrestling with the man who was on top of me.

I didn't know where the new guy was, but he must have his hands full with the other people in the room, if hearing his MP5 was anything to go from. As I struggled against the man on top of me, I began thinking of my options. My shotgun was out of reach, so that was out. I couldn't get my .44 revolver without this guy getting a shot at me. That only left my combat knife, attached to my vest on my left shoulder.

With a strategy in mind, I elbowed the man in the head, and while he was dazed, I quickly grasped the handle of my combat knife and sliced his throat open. It wasn't my first choice to kill him like that, but it was my only option. As his life was fleeting him, I shoved the man off of me and looked around frantically.

Two other men were dead on the floor, blood dripping from bullet wounds by a sub-machine gun, but what caught my eye was that one of the criminals was standing over the new guy, with a handgun pointed at his head. Thinking fast, I flipped the knife in my hand until I was holding the blade, and flung it at the soon-to-be murderer. The knife struck home as it lodged itself into the man's back, killing him instantly, and he fell on his stomach beside the new guy.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Who knew I would be this attached to a guy I only met yesterday. I pushed myself to my feet, and stood up, feeling somewhat sore where the man had hit me. The smell of paint was replaced with gunpowder, and it forced me to give a small cough.

I picked my shotgun off the ground, attached it to my back, and walked over to the man I just killed, extracting my knife with a grunt. It was obviously covered in blood, so I wiped what I could on his sleeve and sheathed it. The new guy was still not making any indication to get up, so I held out my hand, expecting him to grab it.

He didn't move for it.

He didn't move at all.

My eyes widened behind my goggles and I knelt down quickly, putting two fingers against his neck. There was a pulse, thank god, but I then noticed a tinge of red where his nose was. He was probably hit in the head by a blunt object, he would be fine. Still, he should get medical attention.

Before I could shout for help, I could see an odd object sitting not too far away. It was a flat piece of stone, stylized and painted like the sun. It was perfect, with smooth corners and no smudged paint. Why was such an object here? Did these bastards steal it?

I stood up again, my eyes not leaving the sight of the object for a second. I carefully stepped over to it, and picked it up. I studied it effortlessly, feeling the smooth object through my gloves as I turned it over. A yellow circle made up the center, and it was surrounded by a light shade of orange. The flames that flowed outward, representing light, were a dark shade of orange. It was very peculiar.

Then, suddenly, the object began to glow white, causing me to raise an eyebrow. Now it had hidden lights in it? I would have left it alone at that point, but something inside me wanted to continue to examine it. A burst of bright light shot out of it, and I dropped it on instinct, backing away from it. The light filled my vision, to the point where I thought I would go blind. Then I felt myself falling, and the light faded to black, as I slipped to unconsciousness.

{~+~}

I could feel the hard floor pressing against my side, a sign that I was still alive. It was dead quiet, not even the small sound of movement could be heard. I opened my eyes fully, the tinted goggles suppressing the light that filtered through the windows. As I sat up from my prone position, I glanced around getting my bearings.

The room was completely empty now - the dead convicts and the new guy were gone. The walls were still white, but looked dirtier than before. The floor also changed from plain concrete to a wooden finish. What the hell happened? Was I moved? Even if I was, I think my squad would be here with me.

I tiredly stood up, groaning as I did. The unintentional sleep had made me sore, and I wondered how long I was out. I checked my equipment, to see if anything was missing. I still had my shotgun, along with all the ammunition I was allowed to carry for it. The same went with Vera, as it was still holstered to my side. Even my knife was in its place.

I lost nothing in my unwilling move, and I was still wearing all my gear. So the real question was, where was I? I walked over to the window, noting it was a four-pane window instead of just one large glass pane. I put a hand over my eyes to see better, but it proved fruitless as the glass was fogged up from the other side. I guess the only way to figure out where I ended up was by going outside.

I turned to the door and tentatively opened it. The hallway was still there, but I didn't know if it was comforting or disturbing. Nevertheless, I made my way back to the stairs, and I found out that I was in a two story building, unlike before. As I stepped onto the ground floor, I sighted a simple wooden door with a round handle. I figured a long time ago that I was in a different building, but confirming that I was moved still made me uncomfortable.

The windows were the same as the one above; foggy and opaque. I hardly took notice, as my objective was just to get the hell out of the building. However, as I neared the door, I felt dread well up inside me. It was the fear of finding something I wasn't ready for. I had no choice, so I, cautiously, opened the door.

The sight made me almost want to slam the door shut in shock.

I wasn't on the same street anymore. I wasn't even in the same _city_ anymore. By only looking out the door, I could tell I was in a different land. There were cottages that were timber-framed with distinct thatched roofs. Almost all the buildings were identical, save a handful. The roads were run down with dirt paths, with a few patches of stepping-stones here and there.

I took a small step in this strange place, looking around in a baffled state. The place was unrecognizable; I didn't know if I was in the U.S. anymore. The buildings were outdated to our construction guidelines, and the streets would at least have cobblestone. I exited the house I was in entirely, circling around to see it. It was similar to the other housings, but had a wooden sign hanging by the door, saying 'For Sale' in black text.

"Alright, calm down," I whispered to myself, trusting that it would help, "It's just a dream. A very vivid dream, but still a dream. I'll wake up, and forget this whole thing."

My gaze drifted to the sky, seeing that it was cloudy with the sun at an angle with the horizon. That was another thing that confused me; the sun seemed... larger, and the clouds were absolutely stagnant. Normally, one could see the clouds just barely moving across the sky, but I guess in dreamland things were different.

That was when the inhabitants of this town began exiting their homes. It was odd to see people leaving their homes nearly simultaneously, but I had to remind myself that this was a dream. They all wore forest green jackets with haggard jeans. Various accessories complimented their heads. If I didn't know better, they all seemed like military, with the revolvers holstered to their brown leather belts.

What was really unusual was what followed behind each person. If I remembered correctly from my Biology classes in college, they were ponies. Four foot tall, pastel ponies, with big eyes, and tattoos on their flanks. My head must have been really messing with me. I decided to explore a little, humor my mind before I woke up.

As I strolled down the street, I couldn't help but regard the place with wonder. The whole town had very unique yet run down buildings. One looked to be made of sweets, while another looked like it was carved into a tree. It was fascinating.

The locales weren't the only thing that interested me, the populace was unreal. Each person was followed by one or two ponies. Mysteriously, the ponies seemed to be sad; they were actually expressing sadness. The humans didn't care in the slightest, or just didn't notice. There was a variety of colors that the ponies displayed, yet I knew something wasn't right.

The more I observed my surrounds, the more it seemed to not be a dream. Everything was so surreal, and I'm pretty sure I could never think up a place like this in a hundred years. What was ironic was that everyone was gawking at me as I went by, like _I_ was the weird one. Even the ponies.

Speaking of the ponies, as I studied them while I walked, I could almost feel a presence I wouldn't associate with a pony, as if it was aware what was going on around it. It's impossible to discern whether this was real, but I was slowly leaning away from it all being fake. My heartbeat increased at the realization that this reality might actually be genuine. My breath quickened as well, and I began to feel woozy. It felt like my whole perspective of logic was thrown out the window.

The sound of an angry cry broke me from my contemplations. It came from around the upcoming corner, and a yelp of pain also resonated in the same direction. I picked up the pace, hoping to assist in some way.

As I rounded the corner, my eyes laid upon a man, whose features were contorted with fury, that stood over a pony. The pony was cowering away from him, clutching its stomach with its hooves. Apples were lying around the filthy ground, and a knocked over basket lay close by.

It was already strange enough that the pony was twisting her leg in a peculiar way, but that it was brightly colored was another. I knew some of the other ponies had abnormal coats and manes, but I didn't think they were so vibrant. This pony seemed to be female, as did a majority of the other ponies, with a pale goldenrod coat and carrot orange mane and tail. Her tattoo on her flank was three carrots.

"Stupid pony!" the man bellowed, kicking the poor pony in the stomach, causing the pony to wince in pain. I didn't think ponies could wince. "Can't even hold a basket of apples without spilling it!"

The man continued to kick the pony relentlessly, and I knew this was animal abuse. As a police officer, it was my duty to uphold the law, no matter where I was. "Hey, knock it off," I said sternly, walking over to him determinately. The man did stop, causing the pony to catch a break.

"What do you want?" he asked threateningly, crossing his arms as he faced me. He had a long face that told everybody that he was always serious. His short black hair had gray growing in random places.

"You do realize that's animal abuse, right?" I explained intently, halting in front of him.

"Animal abuse?" he asked me, and before I could answer, he broke down in laughter. Even passing people thought my comment was comical; was it an inside joke? The man finally stopping his laughing, but was wheezing from overexerting himself.

"Oh, that's rich," he chuckled, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. He gazed at me again, and his snickering was cut off. "You're serious?"

I hesitated a moment, wondering if it was worth going through with this. Was it normal here to just hurt animals like that? I didn't want to question how the system worked. The man narrowed his eyes, "What are you anyway? A special operative of the Baron?"

Baron? Was that the guy in charge? More questions were filling my head, but I had to tread carefully. I was getting a bad vibe from this person. "Uh, yeah," I answered, scratching the back of my head. I may have lied, but telling the truth was probably unwise at that point.

"Oh," he spoke, visibly relaxing from his earlier pose, "Then you must be here to speak with Mayor Jordan about the apple shortage."

"Right," I agreed, pointing a finger at him, "I'm here to find out about the apple shortage."

I had no idea what I was saying. From this man's words, there was apparently an apple shortage in this town. And the leader in this town was Jordan. If I can find him and explain my predicament, he can point me in the right direction. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a plan nonetheless.

"He's over at Sweet Apple Acres, as usual," he stated, jabbing a thumb at a path that led out of town. "And if it isn't too much trouble, can you put a good word my way?"

"Whatever," I grumbled with annoyance, stepping past him. The man acted like he had been slapped in the face, but didn't say a word. As I was heading to the path he indicated, I looked over my shoulder one last time, and saw the man forcibly pull the pony to its feet, as he scolded it. Why would he talk to a pony who couldn't talk back? I know some people talk to animals, but how loud he was to the pony was ridiculous.

I faced forward again, shaking my head. I'll get all my answers from Mayor Jordan, and then I can get back home. Still, that pony didn't deserve to be treated like that. The other people ignored the abuse as well, like it was a common occurrence.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I mumbled as I strode down the dirt path, leaving the town boundary. My head wandered around, admiring the beautiful nature around me. The rolling hills were filled with golden grass, and it was quite remarkable.

That's when I saw the large castle-like city on the side of a lone mountain. Now, I may not know every city in the world, but I was pretty sure there wasn't a place like that, especially one that looked so haphazardly placed. Just another question to add to my list, which had grown quite a bit.

My trip brought me to a bridge that spanned a small stream. I thought it was quite quaint, seeing as the bridge was exaggerated given the small river of water. The view on my right side changed from wide-open plains to a large tree orchard. Each tree was healthy, bearing bountiful apples by the dozens. I wondered if I could try some when I got the chance, and decided to ask when I could.

A fork in the road was presented to me. One lead onward, leading to who knew where. The other path went into the orchard, and probably to Sweet Apple Acres. I took the latter for obvious reasons.

My trek eventually brought me to a red barn. Like the town not too far off, the barn was worn down and shabby, with peeling paint and beaten wood. When I thought about it, the whole town reminded me of those old ghost towns, except this place wasn't abandoned.

I took a small break to check out the surrounding area, leaning against a post of the white rail fence that surrounded the orchard. Sweet Apples Acres looked like a normal farm. Crops were growing vibrant vegetables, animals were in their pens, and farm equipment was strung around.

I gave a relieved sigh, glad to finally be on the right track. This whole place has been so confusing, I was afraid that something would happen to make it weirder. Mayor Jordan would give it to me straight. And if he didn't... I'd think of something else.

The best place to find him would be in that barn, but as I pushed myself off to head there, I heard arguing. It wasn't one of those arguments that lasted a few minutes, but the one that turned violent fairly fast. I decided to investigate, and the sound was coming through the trees.

Vaulting the fence, I carefully snuck through the tall apple trees, wary that I may be trespassing. I got to the point where I was able to discern words in the heated discussion, and I began to approach much more quietly so as to not be found out. One may call this eavesdropping, but a police officer knows that any evidence is good evidence.

"I don't care how tired you are!" shouted a masculine voice, "You need to buck as many trees as you can, or the shortage will continue!"

"I don't care!" a female voice seethed angrily with a southern drawl, "What I need is rest! How am I suppose ta harvest apples if ya never give me a break?!"

I had crept behind one of the trees, my back pressed against it, and I knew that right behind it were the perpetrators of the argument.

"Don't question me!" the man bellowed, using a threatening tone, "Just get the rest of the apples, then you can rest, you fucking bitch!"

The raging disagreement came to a close as footsteps could be heard crunching towards me. I pressed myself harder into the tree, hoping he wouldn't catch me where I shouldn't be. Luckily, he walked past without a glance back. He was tall, maybe a few inches taller than me, and he wore the regular clothes that everyone in town wore. What set him apart from the rest was the light brown Stetson hat on his head.

If my deduction skills were as good as I think they were, that was probably Jordan. And if it wasn't him, than it was someone who could point me to him. I was about to follow him and speak with him, but the woman that he was arguing with crossed my mind. Why were they working someone to exhaustion? Was it slavery? I knew I had to at least talk with the girl to see if she was alright.

A loud crack, followed by many small thuds, came from behind my tree. I peeked around my tree to see what she was doing, but I only saw a pony. This pony had an orange coat, with a blonde mane and tail. The tattoo on her flank were three red apples. I searched the area, but found no sign of the other woman, did she take off? And why does this pony seem so mad?

I took a step forward to get a better view, but my foot, unfortunately, landed on a branch that snapped under my weight. The pony's head whipped over in my direction, her eyes, which I just noticed where emerald green, were narrowed in fury. Soft freckles sat underneath them, on her cheeks. However, upon seeing me, she jumped back in fright. My appearance really was uncommon here.

"Whoa Nelly," the pony said nervously. Wait, the pony spoke? Actual words!? Was she the one who was arguing with the man!? My brain was tripping over word after word, trying to comprehend this unfathomable revelation. I shook my head several times, even banged my head with the palm of my hand to shake me out of it. Though it was difficult with my helmet on.

"What are you doin'?" the pony asked aggressively, referring to my odd motions. She must have gotten over my attire at some point. I simply stood there, dumbstruck. "You're... you're talking," I said dumbly, pointing a shaky finger at her.

"Of course I'm talkin'!" she snapped, glaring with all her might, "Did ya forget that I could or somethin'?"

"I... what... how...?" I stammered, my movement was at a standstill as I observed the pony. She wasn't having any of it though, and rolled her eyes with annoyance.

"Look mister," she explained sternly, "I have work ta do. So iffen you don't mind..."

She walked over to a tree, spun on the spot, and kicked it with her hind legs. A cascade of apples fell, landing perfectly in the baskets that sat underneath the tree. My brain, at this point, was barely registering what was going on around me. I had to process everything that has happened so far, so I sat down, placing my back against a tree, with my hands cradling my head.

At first I thought I was carried to a different location, but that was thrown out, seeing as I was in a different world entirely. Then I assumed I was dreaming, but again, it didn't fit, as this place was too real and, at the same time, too unreal. So, my last option was that I was taking drugs, and this was one large hallucination. It would explain that bright light before I was knocked out cold.

Having an explanation running through my head, I looked up to find the orange pony right in front of my face, causing me to flinch and bang my head against the tree. Good thing I had a helmet on.

"Are ya just going to sit there and watch me all day?" she questioned, her face barely containing her anger. I released a large breath, calming myself so as to speak clearly.

"I think I'm taking drugs," I announced, and the pony tilted her head to the side with a raised eyebrow, "because a pony is talking to me."

I apparently said the wrong words, as her anger grew more intense, taking a few steps away from me, "If ya didn't want me to talk to ya, then ya could've just asked!"

I waved a hand in front of me, trying to control the situation, "Whoa, wait, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying that... wait, why am I trying to explain this to a pony who doesn't exist?"

The orange pony growled, pawing the ground with one of her hoofs, as if she was about to charge. "If you're just gonna insult me, than you might as well skedaddle," she informed me without sympathy, "I ain't got time for that."

She turned away, grumbling to herself, and I wondered how drugs were even interacting with me. What I was told about it, the hallucinations would hardly speak to you, let alone get angry with you. Maybe this was real, and this was all actually happening.

"No," I whispered, causing the pony to swivel her head towards me.

"Pardon?"

"This can't be real," I continued, ignoring her while gripping my head, "I'm not in a magical world where there are colorful, talking ponies with human owners. What the hell is happening!?"

"Stop with your yappin'!" she ordered, facing me fully, "I know your kind, and I know this is just a trick. Well it ain't workin'!"

"Shut up!" I roared, but she didn't back down, or even flinch.

"You listen here, fella," she said, "Just go tell Jordan that I'm working as hard as I can! I don't need no mangy human to watch my every move!"

My mind was in overdrive, I couldn't handle this anymore. So I jumped to my feet and took off, to where I hope was the barn. It was official, I was insane. I just got chewed out by a talking pony. A talking pony dammit! I was probably sitting in an asylum, mumbling to myself with drool coming out of my mouth.

I reached the orchard boundary, and climbed the fence, but slipped and landed on my stomach on the other side. I didn't know where I was, but I didn't care. I was just glad to be alone, to think about what was happening.

My brain was accepting that my surroundings were real; the hint of pain in my stomach, the dirt that I was laying on, everything. I was truly in a land that had talking ponies with humans as the overlords.

Giving a defeated sigh, and I knew there was only one option for me now: getting home. If I could somehow teleport to a completely different place, than the opposite should be true. Now, I just need to find out how to do that. I flipped myself onto my back, sat up, and rested my forearms on my knees.

Jordan was still my main goal. The pony before wouldn't help me, seeing as she didn't like humans. I gave the area a general sweep and found myself in the main farm of Sweet Apple Acres. Giving another sigh, I stood up, and brushed off the dirt that was stuck to my once pristine pants.

After that was finished, I went straight for the barn, figuring that was where Jordan lived. I wished I could have a smoke, to calm myself enough to be in momentary bliss. I couldn't, however, as I was growing desperate for information, and couldn't waste any more time.

I heard more cracks, and I glanced around, seeing other ponies working in the orchard. Even from this distance, I could tell they weren't happy with where they were. And if they all were sentient like that orange pony, than it crossed the line to slavery, unless they were being paid, which was unlikely.

I rubbed my forehead as I neared the barn; I was getting ahead of myself. I arrived here merely half an hour ago, and I can't start accusing people of slavery, especially with ponies being the work force. I finished my pondering with a sigh as I lifted a hand to the door and knocked three times.

Waiting impatiently, I idly played with my hands, wondering how Jordan would respond to my story. The door swung open immediately, with little warning, and there stood Jordan. He eyed me up and down, determining me based solely on my appearance.

"Can I help you?" he asked, giving me a bored expression.

"Yes, hi," I introduced, placing my hand in between us to shake, "I'm Nolan Anderson."

He didn't go for my gesture, still staring at me with his judging gaze while crossing his arms. I retracted my hand - that was rude. "I was hoping I could talk with you for a second," I requested as kindly as I could muster.

"Get on with it," Jordan demanded as he ground his teeth.

"I don't know where to begin," I stated, scratching my neck. "Well... where am I?"

"Sweet Apple Acres," he answered, his tone suggesting he was not amused.

"I mean... what town? What country?" I elaborated.

He cocked an eyebrow, and I just realized that my questions did sound kind of crazy. I also realized that I would finally be getting the answers I craved, causing me to perk my head.

"You are in Ponyville," he replied, sweeping his hand out to indicate the surrounding area. "In the filthy land of Equestria."

"...I never heard of a place like that before," I said, "But anyway, how can the ponies talk?"

I only assumed the other ponies could talk. For all I knew, that orange one was the only exception. My question made Jordan look at me critically, his expression completely amazed, and not in the good way.

"What's your game?" he asked harshly, jabbing a finger at my chest.

"Nothing," I stated truthfully, "I'm just new here, and I have no idea how to get home."

"Knock it off," he ordered, jabbing me again, "I don't want any funny business, and I certainly don't want some asshole asking me stupid questions. Now get lost."

"Look, I just want to-"

"I said get lost!" he roared, pushing me full force with both his hands. I lost my footing and fell into the dirt, releasing a grunt when I did. Using my hands, I pushed myself to a sitting position just in time to see Jordan slam the door, leaving me with a defeated attitude.

I stood up, suddenly feeling tired. I had been tossed around this place and I still had few answers. I only found out that I was in Equestira, and more specifically Ponyville. Only then did I realize the silliness of the names, but I wasn't in the mood to dwell on it.

With fleeting hope, I dragged my feet over to the rail fence and sat on it, my feet dangling slightly. Leaning my arms on my legs, I gave a heavy sigh. I was in one of my moods again, and there was only one way to remedy it. I opened one of the many pouches on my combat vest, extracting a cigarette pack. When I got it out, I opened it to see I had ten left inside.

I pulled one out and put the pack back in the pouch. I quickly tugged off my entire head gear - helmet, ski mask and goggles - and tossed it to the ground without much care. My short brown hair wavered in the small breeze that came by as I rubbed my light stubble beard. I reached into my pocket and retrieved my silver lighter.

Routinely, I placed the cigarette between my lips, while igniting my lighter close to it. In a matter of seconds, the cigarette lit, and I put my lighter back where it belonged. I breathed in the smoke, enjoying the intoxicating feel it had, and pulled out my cigarette from my lips as I exhaled. I watched as the smoke danced around in the air as it disappeared completely.

To sum up, my situation turned from bad to worse. I had no plan, no way home, and no place to go. I suppose I was a little too optimistic about getting home, but there was no way to predict that everybody would be this hostile towards me. So I just sat there, trying to forget my past, the present, and the uncertain future.

A loud crack right behind me broke my train of thought, and I glanced over my shoulder. It was the orange pony from earlier, but she tried to ignore that I was sitting here, keeping her eyes on the trees and its apples. I faced forward again, inhaling another lungful of smoke.

"So you're still here, are ya?" she questioned, kicking another tree with a little more power than I thought necessary.

"I guess I am," I replied curtly. I gave a small grunt, and mused, "I doubt you'd answer my questions."

"What would a human like yourself ask what you already know?" she asked, kicking another tree. "You already took what I hold dearly: my home, family, friends."

"What are you talking about?" I snapped, swinging my legs over the fence to face her fully.

"Don't act like you don't know," she said, still not looking at me. "You know full well what you and your kind did to us ponies."

"No, I don't!" I shouted, throwing my arms in the air. "I'm not even from here, and everyone thinks I'm the bad guy. You think I did something terrible, while everyone else thinks I'm up to no good!"

At last, she stopped her tree kicking to give me a cold stare. It was slightly unsettling, considering I just blew my top. Her stare went on for a quarter of a minute before she gazed at the ground.

"I still can't tell if you're lyin'..." she mumbled, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly, sliding off the fence while inhaling from my cigarette.

"I mean," the orange pony emphasized, "that I can't tell if you're lyin' or not. I'm usually pretty good when it comes to that stuff, but with you humans..."

So she was a living truth detector or something? Was that even possible for a pony? Why do I ask questions like that; anything's possible with these ponies. I didn't voice my confusion, staring off into space instead. I sighed, "So basically you don't trust me."

She gave me a straight face and gave a quick nod to my statement. "Fine," I whispered dejectedly, "then how do I earn your trust?"

She jerked her head back at my request, her mouth slightly open. "You... want to earn my trust?"

I shrugged and gave another drag from my cigarette before I answered, "It seems like the only way to get my questions answered. And I'm sure the people here aren't going to help me without throwing a tantrum."

The orange pony's surprised expression slid into contained anger, her eyes furrowed as she frowned. "I don't know if this is just another trick or not, but you can start by gettin' my stuff back."

"Alright," I complied, flicking my burnt out cigarette bud away. "What is it?"

"My hat and hairbands," she stated.

"Your hat and... hairbands?" I asked, looking her over. She didn't seem like the type of pony to wear clothing of any kind. Hell, I didn't even know that ponies had clothing overall.

"Yes, that there Jordan fella took 'em away from me when he..." she trailed off, turning her head away from me. She looked to be fighting back tears. It was probably a sore subject, one that doesn't want to be talked about, like my own past.

"Okay," I agreed, vaulting the fence and picking up my head gear.

"Wait, you're actually going to get 'em?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in doubt.

"I said I would, didn't I?" I replied putting on my head gear individually.

"Well, I suppose, but..." she said, playing with the dirt. She obviously wasn't used to thanking people, so I faced the barn, wondering where to begin my search for the items.

"What's your name?" the orange pony inquired. Her voice wasn't harsh like it usually was, but compassionate, and maybe even friendly.

"Nolan Anderson," I responded, "And yours?"

"Applejack," she replied instantly in turn.

She matched her name well, but I didn't think about that for long. Still, I smiled underneath my mask; though she didn't want anything to do with me, she knew the proper etiquette of exchanging names. I had a rocky mission ahead of me, one that I found questionable, but I always keep my promises. As best as I can, anyway.

* * *

**Editor's Note: **Hello, my name is Legion222, and I'll be you editor for this story.

This is my second time working with Superdale33, and I gotta say, you folks are in for a ride! He's tons of fun to work with, and a great writer! This story was especially fun to work on, and I've enjoyed it every step of the way so far. I hope you do, too!

Read on,  
Legion


	2. Chapter 2: Threshold

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 2: Threshold**

I couldn't help but stare at the barn with frustration, my mind blank on how to approach. Applejack was still standing behind me expectantly, as I could tell after glancing behind me multiple times. Where was I supposed to start? I didn't even know the lay of the land. Giving a low growl, I turned completely around, with my shoulders slumped.

"I, uh," I hesitantly muttered, scratching the back of my neck, "I'm going to need a little more information."

Applejack eyed me doubtfully, an eyebrow raised, probably suspecting that I could never retrieve her belongings. Rolling her eyes, she jumped over the fence without a hitch, and stood beside me.

"Ya see that barn?" she asked, pointing a hoof at the building. I looked over at the barn again, feeling childish as I did, and nodded. "That's where Jordan lives, and that's where my stuff is at."

It took all of my strength not to facepalm at her statement, but I still rubbed my head irritably; she had better be joking. "I mean," I emphasized, clenching my left hand tightly while gritting my teeth, "I need information I don't already know."

Applejack gave a coy smile, her eyes half closed in smugness. I wished I didn't have to work with her on this. "Listen here, human," she taunted while facing the barn seriously, "Jordan wears my hat all the time, and I reckon he only takes it off when he sleeps. My hairbands are in the town hall, where he works. That's as much as I know."

Though I was glad she decided to give me real facts, she was still kind of vague, and I don't think it was on purpose. Deciding that I would have to make do with what I was given, I walked forward, intending to spy on Jordan for a start. Applejack did not wish me luck, or even say goodbye, but I didn't expect one - she still didn't trust humans.

As I slunk towards the barn, being as discreet as possible, my mind was racing. Why was I stealing from a man who stole Applejack's things first? Two wrongs don't make a right, but I didn't have much of a choice.

I shook my head as I neared a window that was part of the barn, the possibilities relentless. This had to be a bad idea; a cop stealing always was. It was the only thing going through my head as I peered inside the building. The interior was rather ordinary, with wooden walls and a few pieces of furniture, including a sofa and a rocking chair. Jordan was nowhere in sight.

That's when I felt a hand tightly grip my shoulder, causing me to wince. I tentatively turned my head to see two muscular men wearing green T-shirts and snarling at me; I was caught.

"Shit," I mumbled as they each grabbed an arm and dragged me to the front, my feet unable to keep up with their brisk pace. When we reached the corner, where the front door was, I could plainly see Jordan crossing his arms. I barely had time to register that he was here before I was shoved to the ground harshly. I braced my arms as I fell onto the ground, but didn't bother to look Jordan in the face.

"So," he started in a superior manner, as I kept my eyes trained to the ground, "you thought you could just snoop around my abode without my consent? Is that it?"

Choosing not to answer, I kept my position on the ground, ignoring anything he said afterward - my own thoughts were at the front of my find at that point. I could easily escape whatever he decided to do with me by simply telling him about Applejack. However, it wasn't my place to tattle on others. Besides, he would probably just think I was making stuff up to get out of trouble.

Suddenly, the two men beside me took each arm again, lifting me up to my feet without remorse or consideration. I faced Jordan, and he was obviously pissed that I was flat out ignoring him. "Listen, you fucking piece of shit!" he seethed, grabbing a handful of my jacket collar. "If you want to live, you better leave in the next five minutes and never come back! Are we clear?"

This guy was absolutely serious, as the look in his eyes said it all. I wasn't afraid though; I'd dealt with worse. "Crystal," I replied quietly, and I shook off the men holding me. I sauntered toward the exit of Sweet Apple Acres, but not before I whipped around and flipped the bird.

He wasn't fazed, however, but I got my point across that I was as bitter as him. Turning my attention back to the matter at hand, I was running out of options. Getting Applejack's belongings would be a lot tougher now that I was officially kicked out of Jordan's property. And I was still uncertain if stealing from him would be the best choice.

Then I remembered a piece of information that Applejack had told me. Her hair bands were in the Town Hall. It was a start, especially since Jordan was busy at his home. I walked faster back to town, my mind still going back and forth between morals and personal business. When I crossed the bridge over the stream, I made my way through the streets to the largest opening of town.

At least, that was what I hoped it was. My experience with any city or town is that any place that is wide or has a statue in front is where Town Hall was. Luckily, I was right. The wide area was bustling with people and ponies, the former pushing and shoving to get to where they were going. I stepped off the side to avoid any offensive confrontation, and quickly studied the town square.

Nothing truly major stuck out, besides the statue at the center of the town square. It was faded pink, with a reared pony balancing on a ball, and a pool of water surrounded the statue. I had no idea how it depicted a town like this, but I put it in the back of my mind as I stared across to the Town Hall.

It was brilliant, even if the paint was not luxurious. It was cylindrical in design, with a cone, brown roof. I zig-zagged through the crowd of people and ponies, keeping most of my focus on my objective. I eventually stepped onto the porch of the town hall and reached out for the door knob, hoping it wasn't locked.

It wasn't, and after thanking my luck, I rushed inside. The room was open, like a theater without a stage, but it hardly mattered as I searched for a door to an office. A set of stairs curving with the building was all there was, so I climbed up them two at a time. When I reached the top, a receptionist's room was what greeted me. No one was there, and I had no problem walking by the desk to the door behind it.

I opened the door slowly, peeking through to make sure it was empty. Jordan may be at the orchard, but that didn't stop my paranoia from forcing me to check to make sure. When I assured myself that it was all clear, I fully entered the room. A lone desk sat in the middle of the room, a fancy window behind it allowed strands of light to radiate onto the wood floor. An assortment of potted plants hugged the walls, their leaves looking unhealthy.

My eyes scanned over the desk as I approached, looking for the hair bands that belonged to Applejack. All there was was a single document; perhaps reading it would help me in my situation, and my curiosity did nothing to stop me from reading it . I shuffled around the desk to face the piece of paper the right way, and began to quickly read through it.

_My most faithful student,_

_No doubt you have read the news lately, and let me assure you that Cadence and your brother are safe. However, we now have a crisis on our hooves. I request you and your friends come to Canterlot as soon as possible. I await your arrival._

_-Princess Celestia_

A note at the bottom, in different handwriting, was scribbled across:

_Find this 'faithful student'_.

Now wait a goddamn minute. I thought this land was being ruled by a Baron, when did a Princess come into the picture!? And who the hell is this 'faithful student'? The document did not help in any way, shape, or form. Just the opposite, and now I was growing really frustrated at not getting anything accomplished.

The sound of footsteps shook me from my thoughts, and a knot in my chest formed. Someone was coming. My first thought was to escape, but I caught myself before I attempted to do so, reminding myself why I was here in the first place. With great haste, I practically threw open the drawers that were part of the desk, and found two red hair bands on the bottom drawer. I extracted them and put them in my pants pocket, and I glanced at the parchment that still rested on top of the desk.

The footsteps had halted from the other side of the door - I had three seconds at best. Acting on impulse, I grabbed the document, scrunching it up as I did, and shoved it into my pocket with the hair bands just as the door swung open.

It was Jordan, and he was aiming his revolver at me.

I didn't think breaking and entering would warrant such an act.

"I should have known that you wouldn't leave well enough alone," he growled, his trigger finger twitching. I kept my gaze towards him, spreading my feet to take action at a moment's notice. My mind was searching rapidly for an escape route, and I had to keep him talking until I could come up with something.

"Who's Princess Celestia?" I asked, deflecting the subject.

"You know damn well who it is," he said, furrowing his brow deeper. "What is with you and these stupid questions!? Did you just sleep through the last three months or something?!"

I got him to ramble about how forgetful I was; not what I was shooting for, but it'll do. I could only think of one way to escape without getting killed, and it was pretty risky itself. And I would need a distraction to boot.

"Of all the people to come into my office, it had to be you!" Jordan exclaimed, adjusting his grip on his gun. "It was a good thing I decided to check up here. The moment I met you I knew you would be trouble, and now I caught you red handed, you masked man. It doesn't matter why you're here, not as long as I'm Mayor. Everything I say goes, and I can shoot without worry, even if it's another human. Well, what have you got to say for yourself, stranger?"

He was monologuing like any villain would, and I found it irritatingly cheesy. I had to say something before we ended up staying there for hours. "I said my name was Nolan Anderson," I put in, then I shouted, "Applejack, run!"

And Jordan took the bait like a fish in a river.

With eyes wide, he gave a glance over his shoulder, and I dashed for the window. Covering my face with my arms, I crashed through it, feeling pieces of glass sink into my arms. They were burning with pain, but that wasn't the worst part. Gravity took hold of me, and I plummeted to the street below, hitting the ground with my right shoulder.

I cried out in pain, but stopped myself short, trying to act tough for all that it was worth. I gripped my shoulder with my left hand, the pain numbing the rest of my arm, as I rolled over to my feet to stand. The town square was at a stand still, everyone had suddenly froze at my sudden stunt. It was very unnerving to sweep over the crowd with eyes all on myself.

"Stop that man!" I heard a shout above me, and when I faced back to the Town Hall, I could see Jordan just outside the window pointing a finger at me. "A hundred bits to the one who takes him down, two hundred if he's alive!"

I was already charging down the street before he had finished, barreling past people before they realized that I was a wanted man. It was difficult with my heavy combat vest, but I didn't have much choice. I broke away from the crowd, and into the nearly empty roads.

I had no idea where I was going, weaving between back alleys while clutching my shoulder. At some point, the people from the square had begun to chase me, their thundering footsteps all the indication I needed to maintain my bolt.

I flew around a corner and slammed myself against the wall, hoping nobody saw me slip away. The pain of my arm was still present, but it wasn't as bad as before. My heart was beating fast, both from being chased and the thought of what these people would do to me if I were captured. Little noise was being produced, so I knew I had a minute or two to think things over.

Being an outlaw - I had to admit - was my fault. If I hadn't broken into Jordan's office, I wouldn't have gotten into this mess. I found it somewhat ironic that I was a cop an hour ago, and now I'm on the opposite end of the law, but that was beside the point. Maybe turning myself in would be for the best... or maybe it would get me a bullet in my head.

I decided just to wait it out; let them cool off before I showed myself.

I turned to the rest of the alley, and spotted a building that was across the stream. It was kind of like the Town Hall, but smaller and brighter, or at least as bright as it could be in this dreary town. It also reminded me of a carousel at a carnival. I concluded to myself that it was a good place to hole up.

As I edged toward the alley's exit, I gave a brief look of the area, making sure no one would see me. When the coast was clear, I sprinted with everything I had for the building, crossing the bridge with ferocity. My nerves were tensed as I quickly made my way to the door of the building. When I made it, I gave a sigh of relief, reading the sign that hung by the door.

'Carousel Boutique'.

"There he is!" I heard a shout behind me. I quickly glanced behind me to see that Jordan and a few other people had found me, speeding from behind a corner of a building. With great urgency, I tried to jerk open the door, but it wouldn't budge; It was locked. Of all the times a door had to be locked, it had to be while I was under pressure.

Thinking fast, I jumped back, and unholstered my revolver, Vera. With both of my shaky hands wielding the gun I took aim, hearing the shouts and jeers of the approaching group. I pulled the trigger and the familiar blast of my weapon rung in my ears. My injured shoulder spiked in pain again, and I gripped it with my left hand, clenching my jaw shut. Nonetheless, my plan had worked, and the lock was in shambles. I charged through the door with my good shoulder, and slammed it shut again.

Someone from the opposite side rammed into the door, almost knocking me back. A wooden chair sat next to the door, and I swiftly grabbed it and placed it under the doorknob, creating a makeshift lock. Another pound reverberated on the door, but it was suppressed by the chair. I backed away from the door, and holstered Vera, knowing I had to think of something before they breached.

A low whimper echoed in the room, and I instinctively froze. Despite being short on time, I couldn't help but stand there, hoping what I heard was just a trick of the wind. Another whimper, this one being louder, came out and I whipped around, worried that my life would end at that moment. A pony was cowering on the floor, shivering with eyes shut tight. The pony was positively familiar.

It was the one that was being abused in the street; the carrot mare.

By the looks of the pony, she had been heavily beaten since I last saw her, apparent from the many bruises that littered her side. I felt incredibly bad for the mare, especially after finding out that these ponies are intelligent. There wasn't anything I could do for her right now, however, but it didn't help my compassionate heart.

"Look," I sighed, tensing up as another slam came from the barred up door, "I can't do anything to help you. You have a... master, and I can't change that."

The mare finally looked up towards me, clearly fearful that I would smack her if she said something bad. "W-Why do you a-act like you don't k-know about... about..." she stuttered, but went back to cowering, shaking harder than before.

"About what?" I coaxed, tilting my head slightly.

Her eyes widened, her jaw opening in utter shock. "You... y-you don't know?" she asked desperately. "We p-ponies were e-enslaved after you humans i-invaded Equestria."

My breathing ceased, time seemed to slow, and yet it didn't matter to me. If I thought my mind was blown before with everything that had happened, they didn't compare to that sudden revelation. It didn't make sense to me that I would react so abruptly to this piece of knowledge, especially when compared to the talking ponies. Maybe it was that I was so oblivious to it, or perhaps the idea was always possible in my head and I neglected to keep my suspicions. Either way, I was completely stunned.

Another bang from the door brought me back to reality, and I shook my head to clear my thoughts; I would have time later to sort my contemplations. "Sorry about this," I apologized to the mare, before taking my revolver out and knocking her head with the handle. She dropped unconscious like a sack of bricks.

I didn't want to do that to her, but I didn't want her to disclose my whereabouts to Jordan and the others trying to bust in. With the mare out cold, I darted over to another room opposite of the entrance. It didn't have a door, or even an alternative exit if things got hairy, but I was running out of time. I entered hurriedly and pressed myself beside the door frame, hidden from view.

My shoulder was still throbbing, but it was tolerable. I controlled my breathing, taking deep breaths, to keep myself quiet. Another minute passed with the door being rammed into, and I could hear groaning from the mare I had hit over the head; she must be coming around.

The entrance door suddenly burst open, the chair smashing from what I could hear. Footsteps echoed in the room as many people rushed inside until everyone suddenly stopped.

"Where the hell did he go!?" screamed the undeniable voice of Jordan, as grunts of vexation followed by the other men. An assortment of movement was made, indicating that they were quickly surveying the room.

"Maybe this damn pony can tell us," one of the men sneered, earning a few dark chuckles from the others. I risked a look out of the door frame; good thing my clothing was all black. I counted five men, revolvers drawn, all surrounding the innocent mare, who still looked groggy.

"Where did he go, Carrot Top?" asked another man; he was the one who was abusing the mare in the street.

"I... I don't k-know, sir," the mare known as Carrot Top responded apprehensively.

"Bullshit!" shouted Jordan, and he kicked Carrot Top in the stomach, who whined in pain. "Are you blind or something!? He ran right in here!"

"I-I know, sir," Carrot Top confirmed anxiously, "B-But he knocked me out before-"

"I don't want your excuses!" Jordan yelled out, kicking the pony with each word causing more whines. "Grayson, what do you want to do with your pony? She's not going to tell us anything."

Grayson, Carrot Top's owner, gave a low hum, scratching his chin thoughtfully. I knew that whatever he would do to her would not be merciful. He shrugged after a period of time, "Just kill her, she's been rather useless lately. I'll just purchase another one from Somersett Mines."

I couldn't believe my ears; he was just going to get rid of her like a fly on a wall. What made it worse was how casual he was, like he'd done it before! Jordan gave a small smirk, and pointed the revolver at Carrot Top. The mare gasped, and tried to back away from him.

"I-I'm sorry!" she attempted to plead as a man from behind her grabbed her mane to keep her still, tears were slowly falling from her eyes. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

Jordan gave a small amused chuckle, "Like I give a fuck!"

At that point, I had snapped. Carrot Top had been beaten and harassed for who knows how long and these men just took all she had gone through for granted. I couldn't control myself as I reached behind me and grabbed my riot shotgun, bringing it to my front. At the same time, I was standing and presenting myself in the doorway.

"Hey, is that-?" the man holding Carrot Top asked, but I interrupted him by shooting his head off. The adrenaline pumping through my veins canceled the pain in my shoulder. I pumped my shotgun again, and shot at another man, catching him in the chest. Jordan, Grayson, and another man had the insight to run for cover, and did so feverishly.

I slid back into cover as well, hearing revolvers discharge and bullets impact around my position. I took a quick glance to see where they hid and jumped back just when a bullet whizzed by my head. One of them was behind a stage, another took cover at a wooden crate by the door, and the last one was hiding behind a mannequin in the shape of a pony; the last one confused me greatly, but I shook it off.

I had to take into account that Carrot Top was still in the crossfire, so my aim had to be critical. I pumped my shotgun again, waiting for a gap in the gunfire, and when it came, I jumped out of cover and blasted right through the mannequin. The man behind it fell to the floor, but I couldn't tell if he was dead or not as I hid behind cover again.

A hail of gunfire came at me, although there was less of it. I counted the number of shots I'd taken while I waited for an opportunity. Though it was hazy, I can remember shooting three rounds, which meant I have five left before I had to reload. With only two hostiles left to take care of, I knew I could release a few pot shots. I stuck my shotgun out of cover, and shot two shells. The gun nearly flew out of my hands, but I kept a firm grip on it.

Three left in the chamber.

I couldn't stay in hiding forever, and it would be far easier to take them out if I had the element of surprise. But that wasn't an option right now. Suddenly, the gunfire ceased - just stopped altogether. I would've popped out and took fire, but something felt off about this break.

"Just give up now, you bastard," Jordan called from his cover, which I believe was behind the stage. "We have you outnumbered."

"Maybe," I agreed with humor in my tone, "but I have you outgunned."

"Surrender," Jordan continued, ignoring my statement, "That gun of yours can only last so long."

I gave a small chuckle, "You underestimate me, Jordan."

I jumped out of cover, my gun pointed at the stage where he was poking his head out. "I never surrender," I whispered with no remorse, and discharged my shotgun, which smashed through his skull, knocking him back. I hope I didn't ruin Applejack's hat.

The other person looked over the crate, and shot at me. The bullet only grazed my right elbow, but it still stung like hell. Hissing in pain, I went back to cover, checking my wound. The clothing and skin were torn open, and blood freely oozed out of it. I hastily placed my shotgun down, putting pressure on the injury with my left hand, cursing under my breath.

I felt alone as my breathing became amplified, droning out any other noise. There was one man left, and two rounds left in my shotgun. The adrenaline must have been getting to me, because a life-threatening idea was the only plan I had.

I sighed, loosening slightly as I picked up my shotgun. "Fuck it," I grumbled, pumping another shell into the chamber. When the the man ran out of bullets, I surged out of cover, heading straight for him.

The man panicked, backing up as he fumbled his reloading. I didn't give him the chance as I unloaded both shells into his chest; he was dead before he hit the floor. With the threat detained, I fell into a seating position on the floor, breathing hard. I clipped my shotgun on my back once again, and leaned forward on my knees.

A wave of heat washed over me, sweat soaking my mask. I slowly took off my head gear, holding it in my hand loosely when I was finished. I gazed at it as if it was the one to blame for my situation, and I could see my reflection in the goggles. I tossed it to the ground, and rubbed my face. A sharp intake of air could be heard in the room, followed by forced coughing.

I pushed myself to my feet to see what it was, but instantly regretted it as I felt light headed. I stumbled around slightly, but then pressure was applied to my side, stabilizing my wild movements. I looked down, and was somewhat bewildered to see Carrot Top placing a hoof on my hip, staring back at me.

"Are you... are you alright, mister?" she asked with a depressed expression. Realizing that my jaw was open a bit, I quickly closed it, and nodded.

"I'd be more worried about yourself," I said with a small smile, trying to lighten up the mood.

She returned the smile, but did not hold it as she eyed my various injures, backing away to give me room. I checked myself over for anything major, and wasn't disappointed. My forearms was covered in scratches and glass from crashing into the window, my shoulder still ached from my rough landing, and my elbow was bleeding pretty badly. Not only that, but I also felt like a wreck.

More coughing traveled through the room, and it came from the mannequin that I shredded with my shotgun. I walked over and saw Grayson, laying on the floor with his chest covered with blood. He gave one glance at me, and gave a short chuckle.

"Well, looks like you win this one, huh?" he wheezed out, a stupid grin on his face. I remained silent, furrowing my brow, as I drew my revolver. He saw this, and chuckled again, but went into a fit of coughing as a result. When he regained his breath he spoke with a hoarse voice, "What are going to do? Execute me? Shoot me like a dog?"

"Who said I was going to shoot you?" I retorted, before pistol whipping his head, knocking him unconscious. I don't kill if I could show mercy, and Grayson would most likely bleed out anyway.

"God, what an arrogant prick," I said, turning around while holstering my weapon. I stepped past Carrot Top, who hadn't taken her eyes off of me, and over to Jordan behind the stage. His upper chest and neck were a mess, but I was more focused on the Stetson hat that lay a few feet away. I picked it up, twisting it around in my hold to see if there was any damage. By some miracle, the hat was unscathed, and I knew I had gotten what I came for.

"Uh, excuse me?" Carrot Top inquired quietly, and I faced her with an eyebrow raised. She took that as a hint to continue and did so carefully. "Why did you... well, save me? Don't all humans hate ponies?"

"I couldn't just let them kill you," I said incredulously; could she really not believe that I wouldn't help someone like her?

"Well, thank you," she said, smiling with a faint blush, while facing away. Why was she blushing? I didn't really say anything that would cause it. I shook my head and was about to head for the exit, but stopped myself.

Looking down at Carrot Top, I could see her fidgeting with her hooves, making sure she didn't look at me. I knelt down to her level, giving a worried expression. "I have some business I have to finish," I explained to her, but she still didn't face me. "If you want, I can take you along and-"

She finally looked at me, and placed a hoof on my chest, shaking her head. "It's alright, I'll find a way. You're a criminal now, anyway."

I nodded in understanding, "I guess I am."

I stood up, grabbing my head gear as I did, and put it on. When that was finished, I glanced at Carrot Top one last time. "You take care, okay?" I requested.

She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped, closed it again and nodded. I nodded back, and strolled outside, closing the door behind me. I began my long trek back to Sweet Apple Acres, the sun hovering over the horizon. I reviewed the events of the day in my head, with my job with my S.W.A.T. team, appearing here, finding out about the talking ponies, and being attacked by my fellow humans. And it all ended up with the news that humans had invaded this country, Equestria.

To say that this day was overwhelming would not be accurate enough.

I kept to the outskirts of town, avoiding the people that were still hunting for me. I took out my shotgun, along with exactly eight shells to reload. I didn't know if the people here had ammunition for my shotgun, and decided to refrain from using it until I knew for sure.

After which I checked my wounds; my bullet wound on my elbow was not as bad as I had thought, as it had stopped bleeding. My forearms were the most worrying seeing that glass might be imbedded in them. My shoulder, of course, was still sore and throbbing. It would probably be like that for awhile. All in all, my long walk back to Applejack was fairly boring.

{~+~}

By the time I made it back to Sweet Apple Acres, the sun had passed below the visual spectrum, and though there was the orange tinge in the sky, darkness was fast approaching. The cold was slowly gnawing on my body, causing me to shiver. My limbs felt like lead from everything I had done, and I was looking forward to some sleep. My growling stomach was only a reminder that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. The enticing apples still hung in the trees, practically begging me to eat one.

Shaking my head, I faced anywhere but the apples; I had to stay focused. I heard the crack of hooves against wood somewhere in the orchard, and changed course towards it, vaulting the fence yet again. Weaving through the trees was simple, and I found Applejack kicking the trees in little time. She also looked tired, and for the first time, I actually pitied her. Not just for her being fatigued, but also for what the people here did to her kind. I may not have had all the details, but it seems to me that these ponies had had it rough.

Applejack turned her gaze over to me, her eyes narrowed in hatred. Her eyes moved down to my hands, and she gasped, turning her whole body towards me. "You... you got my hat," she noticed sheepishly.

"That's not all," I said, reaching into my pocket. My hands touched the paper document that I slipped in before the whole fiasco earlier, and I was a bit surprised; I had forgotten that I had taken it. I took it out as well as Applejack's hairbands, and handed her items to her, who took them in her hooves with a sad smile. I brought the terribly wrinkled document to my face, reading the letter again.

I still had no idea who Princess Celestia was or who the the recipient was supposed to be. But I had completed my objective, which means I can finally receive my reward. I lowered the letter, and could see Applejack with her clothing on. She had one hairband in her mane, her hat was placed on her head, and the other hairband was on her tail. It was odd to see a ponytail as a pony's mane, but it was only a minor observation.

"Can you answer my questions now?" I asked in annoyance.

She scoffed, "I still don't see a reason, but yes."

Sighing in relief, I relaxed my frame, sliding to a sitting position. "Finally," I mumbled to myself, then I said, "First things first, where am I?"

"Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria," she answered rolling her eyes as if I was an idiot. She was being broad, probably so I didn't have to ask follow-up questions. I would've found it nice, if she didn't speak so scornfully. I only repeated my question that I asked Jordan for verification; I had to be absolutely sure he wasn't pulling my leg.

"Next question," I continued, rubbing my chin, "How come you ponies can talk? Some mutation or technological breakthrough?"

"We could always talk," she snapped, waving her hoof at me, "For as long as we could form words."

That confirmed that these ponies were natural, and probably unaffected by humans, that is, until the invasion. I held up the letter in my hand so Applejack can see it, and asked, "Who's Princess Celestia?"

"She was the ruler of Equestria," she said rather quickly, then glared at me, "before you humans came here."

I rolled my eyes, and was glad she couldn't see it behind my mask. "Anyway, who's this 'Faithful Student'?" I followed up, placing the document on the ground so she could see my meaning. She took one glance at the letter, and took it in her hooves, gawking at it. I was surprised she could pick it up with hooves; how did she do that?

She eventually brought the letter down, showing that she held sorrow in her eyes. "She was a friend of mine," she said slowly, taking a shaky breath, "Twilight."

"Where is she now?" I inquired, more out of curiosity than actually caring about her well being.

Applejack shook out of her sad demeanour, and fixed a piercing stare at me. "Now why in the hay should I tell you?" she retorted, taking a few steps towards me, "That's why you're helpin' me out, ain't it!? Ta find Twilight!"

I groaned; how long would she think I was tricking her? I didn't want to start a huge arguement, so I opted to change the subject. "Moving on. So, uh..." I fumbled with my words not sure how to word my next question, which irritated Applejack considerably.

"Just spit it out already!" she snapped, stomping one of her hooves.

"What happened here!?" I blurted, my patience growing thin with her.

My question must have hit home because Applejack became unusually quiet, looking away with a distant expression. She gazed at me without remorse, but I didn't back down; I needed the full story. She gave a heavy sigh, and sat on her haunches, telling her tale.

"It all started a few months ago. Back then, we didn't even know humans existed. You supposedly lived in the northeast from Equestria, next to the Griffin nation. At one point in time, y'all invaded the Griffins, killin' most of 'em. That's what Princess Celestia told me and my friends."

Carrot Top's story was legit then; humans did throw the first punch. And not just at Equestria, but with mythical creatures as well. However, at that point, I'd believe there were magical unicorns.

"You humans first attacked the Crystal Empire, the northernmost place in Equestria, and Princess Celestia sent some royal guards to hold off the attack. A little afterwards, she sent my friends and I to see what the damage was. And... and..."

Applejack trailed off, shaking her head with eyes closed as if to hold off tears. I sighed; she wouldn't like it if I pressed her on it anymore than I already did. Not only that, but I was still worn down from the day. Placing my hands on my knees, I stood up, looking over the many trees that surrounded us. My brain went to autopilot as I walked over to a tree, hand outstretched for the red fruit.

"Just what do you think you're doin'?" Applejack asked sternly, trotting to my side.

"Getting an apple," I replied simply, my hand still reaching for it.

"You can't just take one!" she scolded, "Jordan will bake ya alive!"

"I don't think we have to worry about him," I said nonchalantly, picking the apple out of the tree, and examining it. Applejack was puzzled, raising a brow while shifting between her hooves nervously.

"What do you mean by that?" she inquired, shifting her head back like she was afraid of the answer.

"He's dead; I killed him," I answered bluntly, taking off my headgear in one quick swoop, holding it in my other hand, while bringing the apple to my face. It looked delicious, and the moonlight reflected it perfectly. Wait, moonlight? I looked up, noticed that the sun had completely set, the moon fulfilling the task of lighting the night. Strangely, the moon was huge, much bigger compared to the one back home.

I looked back at Applejack, planning on asking her about it, but she was too stunned to answer, her eyes wide while her mouth was agape. "Y-You killed him?" she breathed.

Looking away from her, I bit into the juicy apple, not sure what to say. I was too tired to really think about the consequences, and my body was thankful for the nutritious food.

"You just killed him!?" Applejack screamed, backing away from me. I took a deep breath through my nose, noticing the fresh air, and looked over to her.

"Yeah," I answered, and before Applejack could make another retort, "after he tried to kill a pony."

That shut Applejack up, and she seemed to be debating whether what I was saying was true or not. Seeing that this could go on for a while, I brought up a relevant question, "Do you have someplace that I can sleep?"

"You don't have your own home?" she asked sarcastically. I just stared at her, waiting for her to take this seriously. "Why should I find you a place ta sleep?"

"Will you just shut up with your doubt and just trust me for once!?" I snapped back, slamming my mask-filled hand into a nearby tree. This made her jump back, a hint of fright was on her face for the second time that I had met her. I sighed a little at seeing her like that; it didn't feel good to be feared. "Please?" I added weakly.

Sighing, she dropped her scared expression and trotted past me, keeping her gaze forward. "Follow me," she mumbled, and I did so silently, snatching the letter from the ground and shoving it into my pocket.

We weaved through the orchard in complete silence besides me munching on my apple. We left the apple trees, moving over the white fence into the main part of the farm. I finished my apple about that time - I was really hungry - and tossed the core back into the trees. It was biodegradable after all.

Applejack carried on toward the barn, and I followed along like an obedient dog. She gave a sideways glance towards the barn, and faced forward again, probably wondering why it was dark inside. We walked around the barn, and a single story house came into view. It was made of dark wood, a simple gable roof was on top of it. The house also sat on a foundation, keeping it from touching the dirty ground. A single lantern next to the door gave a small amount of light in the evening.

Applejack walked up the small set of stairs that lead to a patched up door while I remained at the bottom. Now that I was closer, the whole structure was patched; wooden boards nailed in certain places, and pieces of cloth covered whatever was behind it. Applejack knocked a few times on the door, and stepped back. I turned my attention back to the door in time to see it open a crack.

"Oh, Applejack," a feminine voice said with relief evident in her tone, "I was afraid it was Jordan again."

The pony behind the door opened it completely and saw me standing there. Her body recoiled in shock, but I didn't care as I studied her for a moment. She had a very pale yellow coat and chartreuse green eyes. Her mane and tail were raspberry color, with light raspberry streaks, while her tattoo on her flank was a single rose.

"Simmer down, Rose," Applejack addressed the panicking mare, "I brought him here."

Rose did calm down a bit, but her quivering eyes wouldn't leave my intimidating figure. I gave an awkward wave at her, hoping it would make it seem like I wasn't trying to do anything aggressive.

"W-Why did you bring him here?!" Rose nearly shouted at Applejack, "Does he work for Jordan o-or does he want to take us away!?"

"Rose!" Applejack exclaimed sincerely, stopping the mare from going full rave, "You always panic when these type of things happen."

Rose nodded rapidly, taking deep breaths afterwards. Deciding to speak up, I asked, "What did we humans do to make everybody fear us?"

Rose looked at me like I had gone crazy, as Applejack shook her head in annoyance. "Did you get amnesia, sir?" Rose inquired shakily, evidently still cautious around me.

"You can call me Nolan," I corrected, waving my hands in front of me gently, "and no, I'm pretty sure I don't have amnesia."

Rose looked back at Applejack, then back to me. She gestured with a hoof for me to enter and I followed Applejack into the small abode as Rose shut the door behind us.

The ceiling was low - my head almost touching it - and very drafty, which was strange considering there was no windows, though it was fresh. Six shabby beds in total occupied the single room house, three on each side. Three dim lanterns hung on the ceiling in a line, poorly illuminating the room, and I mentally noted to watch my head. Two other ponies were laying on the beds closest to the door, looking bewildered at my appearance.

Both of them were male, or stallions, if the different snouts was any indication. That's where the similarities ended, however. The one on the left had a bluish gray coat and a dark gray mane. He had light cobalt blue eyes and three four-leaf clovers on his flank, contrasting with the other colors. The one on the right had a matching color of light cobalt blue for his mane and eyes. His coat was a pale, light grayish gold, and the tattoo on his flank depicted two bunches of green grapes.

"Uh, hello," the gray coated stallion welcomed awkwardly, waving a hoof slightly.

"Hey," I replied back just as sheepishly, averting my eyes; I didn't want to seem like I wanted to hurt them. Applejack made her way to a bed behind the gold-colored stallion. Rose swept by me carefully, her head ducked low, as she went to the bed behind the gray colored stallion.

I remained where I stood, scratching my cheek, thinking of something to break the ice. "So..." I started, and all eyes fell on me, "What's your names?"

The two stallions glanced at each other with mild confusion, and faced me again. "Well," the gray-colored stallion answered, "I'm Lucky Clover."

"And I'm Goldengrape," the gold-colored stallion finished. Now I was puzzled, but not on appearances, as I'd grown used to it, but their names.

"I'm Nolan, and are all pony names based off their appearance?" I asked the group, but more specifically Applejack, as I was gazing at her.

"Yep," she responded, laying her head on the bed without taking her eyes off of me, "Been like that long before you humans came in."

She was never going to believe that I wasn't with them, even after all the things I'd done for her. Accepting this fact, I grudgingly walked to the furthest end of the building, avoiding banging my head against the lamps, to a bed to the right. I sat on it, facing away from the ponies, and placed my head gear beside me. Sleep was fast approaching for me, and I rubbed my eyes tiredly; I had to stay up just a bit longer.

"What happened to you?" Lucky Clover inquired with a raised eyebrow at my various injuries.

"Got into a... disagreement," I said vaguely. I would have been more specific, but I wanted to have some leverage over these ponies. And if that meant keeping my own secrets, then so be it.

"Say Applejack," Rose inquired, changing the subject and gaining her attention, "when did you get your stuff back? I thought Jordan took them."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Applejack roll her eyes; I knew it was intended for me. "That Nolan feller got 'em for me," she answered reluctantly.

I looked over my shoulder fully to see that the four ponies were staring at me. It wasn't very unnerving for me, seeing as I was the guest here. My questions were unrelentingly present, and I had to get them answered. Deciding to rest, I took off all of my equipment - Shotgun, combat vest, and revolver - and placed them against the wall beside the bed.

I swung my legs onto the bed, not minding that I still had my dirty boots on, and lied my head against the pillow. It felt extremely good to just lay down and do nothing, and I sighed in content. Putting my hands behind my head, I enjoyed resting my weary body on it, even though it was lumpy.

"You got her stuff back?" Goldengrape asked in a doubting tone. I found it irritating; does anyone believe anything I say?

"Yes," I replied with annoyance laced in my words, "I took them after I killed him."

"You what!?" Rose shouted in panic, her features showing utter shock and fear as her pupils became pinpricks. "No, this isn't good. Not good at all. What will the other humans think? Are you wanted now?"

"Rose," Lucky Clover said quietly, but somehow it was enough to stop her rant, though she was panting uncontrollably. "Why would a human kill another human? They're the same species. It's never happened before."

"First time for everything," I added grinding my teeth. I would never believe that the humans here had never killed each other. Perhaps they had fought with each other, but someone, probably the Baron, organized them and pointed at Equestria. It was only a theory, though, and I filed the idea to the back of my mind for the time being.

"What's with the tattoos on the flanks, eh?" I asked rather rudely, my sleepiness leaking into my mood. The ponies all gave each other odd looks, and Applejack, lifted her head, glaring at me again.

"Will ya cut the act?" she retorted angrily, "You're not fooling anypony!"

"It's not an act, I'm telling-" I said, but then registered the last word she said, "Wait, 'anypony'?"

Applejack groaned, putting a hoof over her snout in agitation. "You do seem to..." Lucky Clover noted while rubbing his chin, "behave differently from the others."

"Maybe it's because I'm not like the others," I snapped while rolling onto shoulder to face away from them. Unfortunately, it was my right shoulder.

"If you're not like the others," Goldengrape put in, lifting a hoof for emphasise, "then what are you like?"

"There's a good question," Applejack agreed, "Where are you from if you have no idea what's goin' on, huh?"

Staying quiet, I turned my eyes to the floor, wondering how to answer that question. Would they believe me if I said I was from a different world? I surely wouldn't, and it wasn't like they took everything else I said for granted. But maybe I would get lucky. "I'm from..." I slowly said, and then sighed deeply, "a different world."

Silence filled the room, and it worried me more than the jeers that the ponies could've been spouting. I risked a glance over, and all the ponies were looking away from me, probably contemplating if it could be true, let alone possible. Deciding to elaborate, I said, "The last thing I remember was this strange stone that resembled a sun, and a bright light. Then I was here."

"So what you're saying is," Rose spoke up nervously, "that you've never seen this place before?"

I gave a curt nod, and took a deep breath, hoping they would believe me, unlike Applejack. "I don't know if I believe you," Rose started quietly, canceling my luck in an instant, but a smile was forming, "but you must be different if you're sleeping with us ponies."

Shaking my head, I turned towards them in disbelief. The stallions were nodding at Rose's words, but Applejack huffed and laid back down, facing away from me. A small smile creeped onto my face, as I replied, "Not exactly normal for humans to sleep with ponies, hmm?"

At these words, all the ponies fidgeted with their hooves, and Applejack became stock still, and I don't think it was because she was asleep. I sat up in my bed, eyeing each pony in turn, "What's wrong?"

"Well, it is normal, but..." Rose responded hesitantly, a blush building up on her cheeks, "most of the time it's a lot more... intimate."

"What do you mean?" I asked carefully, leaning up while lifting up my right knee to rest my elbow. It can't be what I think it means.

"What do you think it means!?" Applejack suddenly yelled, jumping up from her bed, looking absolutely livid. "You humans have sex with us! You rape us! Are you really this stupid!?"

I was in utter shock, not really from her outburst, but the words behind it. "I... I had no idea," I stammered with little volume. I couldn't say another word, my throat suddenly caught on seemingly nothing.

Applejack grunted disapprovingly, laying back down while facing away for me, "Right."

The other ponies laid down as well, although not as angrily, facing away from me as well. Seeing that the conversation was over, I rested my head against the pillow, my eyes staring at the ceiling as my mind thought a thousand miles a second.

Did the humans really do that in this world? Is it from the lack of women, or is it just because they could? In my world, it would be interpreted as disgusting and downright wrong. But this isn't my world, and it could be perfectly normal here. But why did Applejack snap at mentioning it? Did she strongly disapprove of it, or was it something deeper? I couldn't be sure of anything, but my mind never seemed to run out of questions.

That wasn't the only thing on my mind. Eventually, I began to wonder what some of my acquaintances back on my own planet were doing without me. I had no one special waiting for me back home, but then why did I want to return so badly? As I thought about it, I could only come to one conclusion: familiarity. This place had things that I could only dream of, and its not like I'm wanted; by the humans or the ponies.

My mind was filled with this and more as I drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**Again, edited by the amazing Legion222.**


	3. Chapter 3: Impressions

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 3: Impressions**

The first thing I felt as I slowly woke up was prodding from my side. It was steady, and a bit rhythmic, but it was also annoying, seeing as I was still tired. I ignored it for a time, hoping that whoever was poking me would just leave me alone. My prediction didn't come true, however, as the prodding continued for a few more minutes.

"What?" I eventually asked roughly and sleepily, refusing to open my eyes.

"Are ya goin' to get up or what?" Applejack's voice rang in my head, forcing me to give a sigh. I half wished that everything that had happened was just a dream, but reality proved me wrong.

I sat up in bed, shivering slightly as a wave of cold washed over me from the lack of blankets. My mouth was dry, not having drank anything for nearly two days. Looking over the room, I could see Rose, Lucky Clover, and Goldengrape getting out of their beds and giving me nervous glances.

"I don't really see a reason to get out of bed," I responded to Applejack's question bitterly, rubbing my forehead. Applejack rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath.

"Listen here, Nolan," she said, anger dripping in her tone, "I gave ya a place ta sleep, now I want ya ta clear out before Jordan finds ya."

"He's dead, Applejack," I reminded, shaking my head.

"And I'm supposed ta take your word for it?" she exclaimed, glaring at me with those piercing emerald eyes. "I appreciate you getting my stuff back, but I still don't trust ya."

I couldn't believe she was bringing this up right after I had woken up. I was still groggy from the day before, and though the rest was pleasant, I still felt sore. What really ticked me off is that she still didn't trust me, after what I did for her. I retrieved her belongings just so I could gain her trust and get my answers. Though the latter was met, the former was still to come, if it ever did.

I didn't bother arguing with Applejack, and reluctantly slid out of bed, my body already wishing it was back on it. I gathered my weapons and apparel, slipping on my headgear and combat vest, and made sure I had everything.

"Hurry it up, Nolan," Applejack called from the other side of the room, next to the door. "I want ya out of here."

No plan, no way home, and no place to stay; I was still stuck on these three problems. What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to go? I growled to myself as these questions, along with others I had yet to find the answers to, rattled around in my brain. I was about to head for the door, when three knocks resonated from it.

"Open up, ponies," someone bellowed from the other side, "This is Military Police."

All the ponies faced me with wide eyes, as if the revelation that I had actually killed other humans had sunk in. I would have boasted that I was right, if I wasn't a bit frightened myself. Did they find out I was here? If so, then how?

Thinking fast, I went prone, and crawled under the bed. Once I was hidden, one of the ponies opened the door. "H-Hello, sirs," Rose stuttered, and I assumed she was the one who opened it.

"Look, pony," a man said venomously, "We're looking for a man who has killed Mayor Jordan and three others yesterday. He looks like this."

I was pretty sure I had killed five men, but that they had a picture of me was what surprised me. If they had one, they could post it up all over town, and I would have no chance of settling down.

Some hole I had dug for myself.

"We haven't seen a man like that, sir," I heard Lucky Clover say. I didn't expect the ponies to cover me. Perhaps they had seen I wasn't like the others.

"Really?" one of the men drawled, "Applejack, have you seen this man?"

How did they know who Applejack was? She must be popular or something. Awkwardly, I shuffled under the bed, getting a good look at the scene - I again thanked the stars that my clothing was black. Two men - one wearing a baseball cap while the other was bald - were in the doorframe, showing a picture of me. Well, a picture with my headgear on, anyway. Applejack was sweating profusely, avoiding eye contact.

"I-I haven't seen anyone," she answered, facing away entirely. Why was it so hard for Applejack to give an excuse? All she had to do was tell a small lie.

"And where did you get Jordan's hat?" the bald man inquired harshly, swiping the hat from her head.

"That ain't Jordan's!" she exclaimed, trying to grab it back with one of her hooves, but the man held it up out of her reach. "It's mine!"

"Nice try, ya stupid pony," he teased, giving a smile that I wished I could shove my fist into. "Now tell us, where did you get this?"

Applejack stopped her struggles to retrieve her hat, and backed down. "I-I... well, y-you see..." Applejack stammered, sweeping her eyes over the room rapidly.

"I know you're lying, pony," the bald man hissed, getting into her face, "Now tell me! Where. Is. This. Man!?"

Applejack was stuttering like she had one her whole life, shifting her eyes around and taking a few steps back. The other man, seeing to have had enough, slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor with a short whine.

"Applejack!" Rose cried, and was about to help her friend up, before the hat-wearing man brought out his revolver and pointed it at her. Rose yelped and jumped back in fright, shaking.

Applejack, looking disoriented, glanced back up at the man, who stood up straight superiorly. "Alright, bitch, if you won't tell us, I guess we'll just have our way with you," the bald man chuckled darkly, grinning like a madman. Applejack was pushing herself away, shaking her head. The bald man gave a few laughs, then grabbed her legs and brought her back to him.

"Hold still," the man said, "I don't like it when they struggle."

For the second time in twenty-four hours, I snapped, rage boiling inside of me. I drew my revolver, Vera, and rolled out from the cover of the bed. Stopping on my back, I aimed my revolver at the man who was looming over Applejack and pulled the trigger. His head had a huge hole in it, and he slumped to the floor. The hat-wearing man moved his gun to aim at me, but I was already ahead of him, and I shot a bullet at him. I only got him in the shoulder, but it was enough for him to fall to the floor, screaming in pain.

Applejack scrambled to her hooves, grabbing her hat in her mouth as she backed away quickly. The other ponies were speechless, pressing themselves against the wall to get as far away as they could from the bloody bodies. I pushed myself to my feet, a bit amazed that my shoulder wasn't sore or in pain.

I walked forward to the hat-wearing man I maimed, bearing down on him and giving the cold stare of my goggles. "You're the bastard who killed Jordan, ain'tcha?" the man hissed, clutching his shoulder and groaning from the pain.

"You said that I killed four people, but I know I killed five," I said, not moving a muscle, "Who survived?"

"I ain't telling you shit!" the man shouted, sneering at me. I lightly picked up my foot, and pressed it against the man's wound, and he howled.

"How about now?" I asked in a mocking way.

"Fuck! Fine!" he gave in, but I kept the pressure on, in case he was bluffing. "Grayson was in critical condition, but he's alive! Goddamn it!"

I stepped off, and the man breathed hard, closing his eyes tight in pain. The man who 'owned' Carrot Top was still alive. The mercy I showed him allowed him to survive, and I doubt he would take my actions lightly. "Thanks for the info," I said before stomping him in the head; He went out like a light.

I holstered my revolver and looked over at the picture of myself. I bent down, picked it up, and examined it. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a Wanted poster.

Wanted

Dead or Alive

500 bits

Last seen in Ponyville

I couldn't help but notice that my bounty had jumped up a couple hundred bits, which I guessed was the currency here. I supposed killing the mayor and a few other people would do that. The picture was hand drawn, probably by an artist who got witness accounts. It was fairly accurate, though it only had my mask and such; no face.

"Ya saved me," a breathless voice said, and I turned to see that it was Applejack. She was sitting on her haunches with her hat back on her head, staring at me like I had done a double back flip. I gave a simple nod to her revelation, and rolled up the poster and slipped it into my pocket. Might as well keep a copy.

"I can't stay in Ponyville anymore," I informed the group, but they didn't react to my words. "You all should get out of town, they'll think you're my associates."

Still nothing; their mouths open in utter shock at the growing pool of blood. I ground my teeth irritably, and I said louder, "That means now."

That shook them out of their stunned silence, and they cleared out, stepping over the bodies with grimacing looks. I remained where I stood, contemplating my next move. Escaping the authorities would only get me so far, and I didn't have any idea where another settlement could be. I had no supplies either, so I had to get food and water before I could leave.

With a hollow plan set, I briskly made for the exit, but then a thought struck me. If I was going to be a wanted man, I would need more ammunition than I had. I only had about fifty-two rounds for my shotgun, not counting what I had used already. My revolver, however, had only a few shots before It would be worthless.

I looked over the bodies of the two men I had killed, or more specifically, their revolvers. They seriously couldn't be using the same type of bullets my revolver used, could they? Crouching down, I retrieved one of the fallen's revolvers, and swung the cylinder open to check. I turned the weapon around and allowed the bullets to slide out onto my open palm. After tossing it aside, I then opened up my own revolver to see if it could fit.

They fit like a glove.

My prayers answered, I gathered as much .44 Magnum revolver ammunition as I could carry, and I also reloaded my revolver. How was it that this world had very expensive ammo for a revolver like this? It was probably one of those mysteries that would never be solved. With the bullets bulging in the pouches on my vest, I stepped out of the house, feeling a lot more powerful.

Applejack was standing right there, eyes to the ground pitifully. I raised a brow; I thought she would've been long gone by now like the rest, or at least get as far away from me as possible. Yet here she was, playing with the dirt as she gave quick glances at me with a sorry expression.

I made to ask why she was here, but she spoke before I could utter a word. "I'm still not sure I can trust ya," she admitted, "but I reckon I owe ya big time."

"Great," I said with sarcasm, "now I can die happy."

She stopped pouting to give me a glare I was becoming all too familiar with. "I'm tryin' to help ya here," she pointed out, shaking a hoof at me.

"I thought I was stupid to ask questions that I should already know the answers to," I snapped, crossing my arms. I shouldn't be this aggressive to her, seeing as she was going to do something instead of answering my questions, but I wanted a bit of payback.

"Do you want my help or not?" she finished, her eyes narrowed. I gave a sigh, not the type that means one has given in, but the relieving kind; I would finally get somewhere.

"That's all I ever asked," I said, walking by her. "So what did you have in mind?"

Stopping a few feet away from her, I examined the area for any more threats as she spoke, "I can take ya ta... Twilight."

That got my attention instantly as I swiveled to face her. Twilight was one of her friends, as I recall, and got really defensive what I inquired where she was. Applejack wanting to talk about her must mean she trusts me a bit more. Still, I was a bit miffed that it took me saving her from being sexually assaulted for her to come around.

"I know where she's at," Applejack continued, trotting up to my side while looking up at me, "And I think she can take ya back to that world you're from."

Rubbing my chin, I contemplated if it was worth going after this pony. Who am I kidding; I had nothing to do to begin with, so this was the only option. "If we're going to leave, we're going to need supplies," I explained, a hint that I would accept her offer.

"I'll get some apples, you get some water," she instructed. Figuring I could find some canteens, I nodded at her orders and made my way to Jordan's house while Applejack headed for the orchard.

{~+~}

Finding some canteens was one thing, but filling them was another. Though I knew of a place to get water, I was worried that I would get spotted by a passerby. I already had enough publicity.

Before leaving for the stream to test my luck, I learned that the household had running water. The technology I've seen so far made me think that it hasn't grown much. Having plumbing, however, changed that theory. Did they advance in some areas and falter in others?

Putting it behind me, I stepped out of the house with three canteens full of water, quenching my thirst as well. I would need a backpack or something to hold any of the supplies Applejack and I would gather, but I hadn't seen one at all. As if the universe was reading my thoughts, Applejack walked over to me from the single-story house, some sort of saddle bag strapped to her side. It was apple green, with her cutie mark as the buckle.

"Ready to go, partner?" she asked in a neutral tone. Her expression was determination, that much I could tell, but there was something else. Something different. It could've just been her refusal to really trust me, or my imagination.

"Not quite," I answered, lowering myself to a knee, presenting the canteens in my hands, "I need a bag to put our water in."

"Just put 'em in here," she said, turning to the side to show her saddle bag. I was about to argue that it wasn't fair, but I didn't want to start a full blown argument again. Opening up the siding, I dropped the canteens inside, noticing the apples that she had gathered. Now, I knew we were ready.

"So where to, AJ?" I inquired, standing to full height as I threw a nickname out of the blue. She didn't take it so well, whipping her head at me.

"Only my friends and family call me AJ," she informed me, trotting towards a direction. Sighing, I followed along. This would be a long walk.

{~+~}

Hours went by like the wind, the clouds still in pause as the world went on. The yellow grass almost shining in the sun. Plains as far as the eye could see, with hills that added to the sight. I thought it was marvelous - living in the city most of my life, I never got the luxury of seeing nature at its finest. Applejack, on the other hand, behaved as if the scenery was evil.

I didn't bother asking about it, she'd probably blame me or something along those lines. Strangely enough, she brought up the topic herself. "The land wasn't always like this," she announced somberly, keeping her gaze ahead. "It used to be green, but the Pegasi don't give rain no more."

I was half listening when she spoke, but a few seconds later, I jerked my head back. "Wait, Pegasi?"

Giving an irritated sigh, she shook her head, and kept talking. Maybe I can find out what she meant later; there were Griffins here, so Pegasi weren't completely impossible. "There hasn't been a drop of water in these here lands for a while. Just up in the mountains where the humans ain't at."

That was a puzzling statement; why would the weather choose where to rain? It doesn't have a mind of its own. Even in this world of fantasy, that would be absolutely ridiculous. And why does the weather avoid humans? God, I wished I wasn't so in the dark.

Perpetual silence reigned over us as we continued our trek, the sight of Ponyville long gone. With my thirst and hunger satisfied, I was becoming increasingly bored; the beautiful landscape can only quench my boredom for so long. "So..." I started, seeing if she would cut me off. "Can you answer my question about those tattoos on your flank?"

Halting in her tracks, she turned to face me, making sure I was serious. I still had my mask on, so it was a bit awkward for her to stare at me. Complying to my request, she turned so her flank was easily in view, and she explained. "Our Cutie Mark shows us ponies what our special talent is," she explained, her tone somewhat happy, but her face said otherwise. "I'm good with apples, as you can see."

I rubbed my chin, thinking about what she said, "Rose's 'Cutie Mark' is a rose. So is she good with... roses?" I was grasping at straws here, and my mind was still reeling over the title being 'Cutie Mark'.

Applejack nodded, and I said, "And these marks just... appear?"

"When the time is right," Applejack said with an indifferent expression. She turned back around, moving on with our journey. I played with my helmet a bit, absorbing this information. Almost everything that had to do with the ponies themselves was not influenced by humanity. It was strange to think it was natural and normal.

"Shake a leg, Nolan, we're almost there," Applejack called from the top of a small hill before climbing down the other side. At this my heart gave a skip; I could finally get out of this bizarre place and back to the world where everything makes sense. I gave a slight grunt as Applejack had stopped calling me by my species name. Perhaps she had moved on from it.

As I climbed the hill that Applejack disappeared over, I wondered what I would find. Would it be a lone house on the prairie, or a small run-down shack? I even thought up a bunker, but I tossed that idea to the side with an inward chuckle. That wouldn't be practical.

At the top of the hill, my jaw nearly dropped; it was a bunker. It looked like one of those old military bunkers, partly in the ground and camouflaged to avoid detection and such. Cold concrete surrounded a wooden door that felt way out of place - that wouldn't survive a nuclear bomb.

Still, this must have been the place, as Applejack was walking towards it. Picking up the pace, I ran down the hill, astounded that we had reached our destination. The thought of going anywhere in this world made me jittery in nervousness; a completely different world, in terms of geography, was a bit worrying.

I arrived at the bottom of the hill to a small flat area in front of the bunker, and it was at that moment that something burst from the ground. It knocked me back, spewing dirt everywhere, and I landed on my head. Though my helmet had taken most of impact, it still hurt quite a bit. Groaning, I stumbled to my feet, my sight foggy from the landing.

"Nolan! Duck!" Applejack screamed, her voice desperate. I did so without hesitation, as it wouldn't be right to ignore her at this point in time. Lucky I did, too, as something flew through the air above me, casting a long shadow. It retracted itself, and when my vision cleared, I looked up to see what we were facing.

It was a thin purple tendril, of all things. The material that made it up was unfamiliar to me, though it shouldn't have been too surprising, considering the circumstances. It had a strange twinkling effect, and was transparent! I could see Applejack waving her hooves in the air at me through it.

"Watch it, Nolan!" she shouted, and I focused my eyes at the large tendril that towered over me. It was about to slam down on top of me, but I jumped out of the way, meeting the ground with a curse. I scrambled to my feet as the tendril did the same maneuver, but I jumped to the side again, this time drawing my revolver.

Taking a few shots at it, I learned that it was ineffective, as the bullets flew right through it. I gripped my revolver tightly in my right hand as my inner rage was growing again; I hate it when the enemy fights unfairly. It may seem dumb to think that all enemies will fight honorably - being a cop, I should know this - but my inner being can't help but turn furious at the prospect at being at a disadvantage.

"Son of a-" I hissed, but didn't have the chance to mutter my profanity as the tendril slammed by my side. I had to come up with a way to take this thing down, or find a way to get in the bunker, whichever worked. Putting away my revolver, I leapt out of the way yet again, barely getting out of the way as the tendril attempted a fourth strike.

I was backing away from the tendril as it thrashed around, seeming to grow angry. If I could put some distance between me and it, then Applejack could slip in and get help. That's when Applejack slid to my side, facing the tendril with a hard face. "What the hell are you doing!?" I hissed, warily watching the tendril for its next move.

"Well I can't just let someone who helped me die now can I?" she retorted smugly, a smirk flashing across her face for a brief moment.

"You're going to get yourself killed," I muttered, shaking my head. I appreciated her assistance, for whatever it was worth, but I suppose I didn't want to see her hurt.

Then she did something inconceivably stupid. She charged straight for the tendril, swiveled her body to face away from it, and bucked it. Obviously, her hooves passed right through it, and because of that, she lost her balance and fell on her stomach. She went to get up, but I could see that the tendril wasn't going to give her a break.

"Applejack! Get out of the way!" I shouted, waving an arm for emphasis. She wouldn't respond, or maybe she couldn't hear me, but the tendril had already smacked her away, sending her away with an audible grunt of pain. She landed a few yards away, rolling to a stop. I rushed to her side, noticing with relief that she was still alive.

"Goddamn fool," I muttered as I looked her over, but it was only half hearted as she was barely awake. "You're going to get us both killed."

I looked back at the tendril and saw it was preparing for another attack, as it seemed it was going to charge forward to stab us like a shish kebab. "Shit," I cursed, not daring to face away from the tendril, "We gotta move."

Applejack didn't reply, and attempted to get up. She was succeeding in that respect, but her current speed wouldn't be enough. The tendril surged forward, its intent to gore was evident. I blinked at how fast it was going; we wouldn't get out of the way in time. Desperately, I picked up the struggling Applejack, and tossed her away, just as the tendril slashed through my back.

I've been shot more times than I could count, but never had I been stabbed through the back of my left shoulder and out the front. I would've screamed in pain, maybe even whimper a bit, but the sheer shock of it all was enough to silence me, and when the tendril retracted, I could feel the air stinging the gaping hole it left. It probably didn't look pretty either.

After that, everything was a blur, as far as I could tell. Applejack was yelling at the bunker, and another pony was standing there. It looked like it was purple, but I couldn't tell as everything became fused together in my vision. My wobbling got the better of me as I knelt down and fell on my stomach, unconscious from the loss of blood.

{~+~}

"Nolan..." an angelic female voice called out in the darkness. I opened my eyes, but it made no difference through the dark void. I had heard that voice before, but I thought the owner was long gone. I moved my body, but it was like moving through a thick substance - almost pointless and difficult.

"Come Nolan..." the voice said, and a bright light illuminated my surroundings, causing me to flinch as I covered my eyes with my arms. When I looked back, I saw endless white, and my lone body floating. I was still wearing my outfit, but my weapons were all but gone.

"Over here," the voice deadpanned, and I span around so quickly I could've broken my neck. It was... something; it was a shade darker than the environment, so it was impossible to see any details. From the looks of it, it was a woman - slender with long hair.

The more I looked at her, and the more I analyzed her voice, I began to put the pieces together, until my heart nearly stopped. "Emma..." I whispered, relaxing my frame. It couldn't be her, she died years ago. This was either a dream, or I was really killed by that tendril, and I'm in the afterlife.

I reached out my hand, my disbelief slowly disappearing as I stared at her. I wanted to hold her again, to comfort her, to tell her I was sorry...

That's when gravity took hold, and I plummeted from view as Emma remained where she was, giving me a blank gaze as I fell. The area was becoming black again, and I was enveloped in the growing darkness.

I couldn't stop as I gave one last cry, one so loud that I might've been able to shatter glass.

"Emma!"

{~+~}

I sprung up in the bed I was laying on, shouting the name as if I was still in the dream. That's when my senses kicked back in, and I gasped in pain from my left shoulder, clutching it. I was wearing nothing but my boxers, and covered in cold sweat. I was out of breath as well, taking large gasps of air. I've never experienced a dream so vividly, not even when I first lost her. Shaking the memory out before I got all emotional, I gave a gander at where I was.

First off, I was in a comfy bed, with a warm quilt blanket that was light purple with a strange pink, six-pointed star, surrounded by five smaller white stars on the cover. My left shoulder, forearms, and right elbow were bandaged up - the first more heavily than the rest. The room I was in was homey, with a fireplace and an azure carpet. There were more details in the room, but a knock brought my attention over to the door on my left.

I was a bit reluctant to open the door, considering my luck with knocking doors so far, but since I wasn't chained up or dead, I must not have been captured by humans. "Come in," I said hoarsely, the dream still flashing through my mind.

The wooden door opened just enough for a head to poke through, and one did. It was a pony I had not seen yet, with a gentle light purple coat. Her mane was plum purple with a pink streak in it, and a horn sticking out of it.

Horn sticking out of...

Horn!?

I raised an eyebrow as she gave me a warm smile, stepping fully into the room, revealing her elegant wings at her sides.

Wings at her...

Wings!?

Okay, I've seen some strange things here, but... wings and horns?! I expressed my discomfort, and she seemed ashamed of it, dipping her head as she gave me a sorry look. I also noticed that her 'Cutie Mark' - still think that's a girly name - was the same as the one on the covers. Shaking off my confusion, I gave an awkward smile, "I, uh... hi."

"Hello," she said simply, her earlier mood returning, albeit a bit less cheery. "You feel alright?"

I glanced at my injuries, seeing how well bandaged they were, before facing her again. Did she do this by herself? That's pretty good, compared to how I would have done it. "Could be worse," I stated, rubbing my shoulder. She took that as a good sign as she walked over to the bed.

"You were lucky my tendril spell didn't kill you," she expressed.

"Yeah, I- wait that was yours!?" I said, raising my voice. She cowered back at my tone, her ears folded back.

"Y-Yes," she whimpered, looking to the side, "It was a protection spell."

It was an excuse, one I wasn't pleased with, but I didn't know how to express my rage, as I didn't know how she could cast a spell. So I settled on gripping my hair with my hands, quivering with suppressed fury. She noticed my reaction, and was even more afraid to speak.

"I knew he wouldn't take it well," another voice said with disdain from outside the door. I groaned, as I already knew who it was.

"You have something to add, Applejack?" I hissed, pushing off the blanket while rubbing my forehead. She stepped into the room, her own anger showing in her features.

"In fact I do," she said narrowing her eyes at me, "You have no right to go off on Twi' like that."

"No right!?" I shouted, standing up and breathing hard. Twilight, as she was called, shrunk down even more, covering herself with her hooves. "She nearly killed us! Nearly killed me!"

"She didn't do it on purpose," Applejack exclaimed, stomping her way over to me. "It was just an accident."

"How was that an accident!?" I roared, getting in her face. She didn't back down, which was strange; she was scared of other humans, but not me? Applejack and I had a stare down, one that lasted many minutes, until Twilight spoke up again.

"I-It was to protect me from humans!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "I... I didn't know it would hurt someone so badly. I'm sorry!"

She was sobbing now, sniffling occasionally, and Applejack went over to comfort her. That's when I reflected on how I was behaving; it was like how Carrot Top was being treated. It doesn't matter how different it was, it still had the same effect.

I wasn't so different from the monsters that I had killed.

Seeing the harm I was doing, I sat back down on the bed, facing the carpet with resentment towards myself. Applejack was motherly shushing Twilight as she continued to cry. The more I heard it, the more I hated myself; she was the one that could get me home, says Applejack, and here I am yelling at her for something she indirectly did. That was the reason why I didn't speak up, for I was afraid she would refuse to help me. I wouldn't blame her if she did.

After about five minutes, Twilight gave one last sniffle as she wiped the stray tears in her eyes. Applejack backed away cautiously, probably to comfort Twilight again at a moment's notice. She looked at me like I would beat her if she crossed me again, and I knew I had to make things right. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, gazing off to the side. "I guess I'm a little... on edge, as of late."

It was a terrible excuse - I'm able to hold my true anger from other ponies, but not her? I gave a glance at her, wondering what she could be thinking. She was still shaking slightly, but she seemed to stand up straighter. "N-No," she stammered eventually, swallowing carefully, "I should have known sooner that you were friendly."

"You never could have known, sugarcube," Applejack assured, walking to her side. Twilight didn't object, but she also didn't agree. Sighing, I shook my head; she really does feel guilty about what happened.

"Let's start over," I suggested, hoping it would drop the situation I had made for myself. "I'm Nolan Anderson."

Twilight gave a small smile, "I'm Twilight Sparkle."

I returned the smile, "A pleasure, miss Sparkle."

Twilight looked at me funny, moving around to get better views. "I can't figure out how you could go from being so aggressive to being so friendly so quickly."

"Well," I said, looking around the room. "Before we get to specifics, can I have my clothes back?"

Twilight gasped, "Oh, sorry. I'll be right back."

She turned around and left the room, leaving just Applejack and I. She watched as Twilight left, then focused on me. "We have a real problem if you just blow up in my friends' faces," she announced, pointing a hoof at me.

"Yeah, well, I have the problem of being in a world where there are winged and horned ponies," I replied back, adding emphasis on the obvious.

Applejack didn't retort right away, quickly gazing over to the door to see if Twilight was nearby before facing me. "There are more," she said ominously and I jerked back in surprise; she seemed to get a kick out of that.

"How many more?" I asked warily, not liking how something out of mythology was walking around.

She smirked, behaving as if she had a foothold on me. "In Twilight's case, only three others, but most either have a horn or wings," she answered with a grin.

"So why haven't I seen them up until now?" I asked in curiosity; surely I would have seen them if all ponies were slaves.

Applejack's smug look diminished to depression, as she slumped her shoulders and released a small sigh. "Unicorns are... more valuable," she said, but it wasn't quite clear.

"What does that have to do with the horns and what about the Pegasi?" I inquired, not seeing the connection. Applejack merely shook her head - I guess I would have to ask Twilight when I got the chance. "Alright, then what exactly is Twilight? I know Unicorns and Pegasi, but what is she?"

She snorted, "Her kind are rare, only the princesses are Alicorns."

The princesses again, and they're a type of species that is considered rare. So are they a princess because they're an Alicorn? Or are they an Alicorn because they're a princess? That's when it dawned on me.

Twilight must be a princess.

"Ah, fuck," I swore, slapping my hand to my head. I had gone off on a princess and I was too blind to take that into consideration. That's when Twilight entered while levitating my stuff in a magenta aura in front of her. Seriously!? Now they can use... magic was probably the correct term.

I scoffed at her, but she took it the wrong way as she stopped a few feet away, looking a bit frightened. "Now you have magic?!" I exclaimed, throwing myself back on the bed, trying to absorb everything. There was a lot to take in.

Applejack then burst out laughing, falling to the ground holding her head. Glancing back, I could tell Twilight was on the verge of a giggling fit herself. Thinking about it, it was somewhat humorous to do what I just did. Twilight restrained herself the best she could and placed my stuff by my side as I sat up. I sifted through my clothing to make sure everything was there as Applejack stood back up. My jacket, undershirt, boots, combat vest, and such was present, but my weapons...

"Where are my guns?" I asked, my frustration growing yet again.

Twilight made to answer, but Applejack beat her to it. "Locked up so you can't do anything with 'em."

I had every reason to explain that I had saved her and had done nothing that would have provoked such a decision. But if I did that, it would only add to their reasoning. "Whatever," I said, waving a hand, "but can I have some privacy?"

Twilight instantly blushed, backing away quickly - strange, since I wasn't going to get even more naked; I just wanted to be alone as I dressed. Applejack merely rolled her eyes as she followed behind. As the door shut, I could've sworn I heard Applejack mutter, "Humans."

{~+~}

A few minutes later, I was back in my outfit, feeling a lot bolder with some threads on me. It felt clean, like someone went through the trouble of washing it before bringing it to me - another reason to give my thanks to Twilight. It was even stitched from the cuts on my forearms and elbow. I left my mask off and on the bed, thinking it would seem less imposing without it, and went for the door.

Before I pushed it open, I could hear Applejack and Twilight speaking with each other, and couldn't help but eavesdrop, maybe because they were talking about me. "And you're sure that you can't tell?" Twilight questioned rather nervously.

Applejack sighed, "Like I said, I can't tell if them humans are lying or not, and Nolan is no exception. Even if I could, I wouldn't trust any of 'em with a bag a' hammers."

"What about Nolan? You've traveled with him so far. Surely you can trust him."

"Twi'," Applejack responded with irritation, "you weren't out there with those things for three months. And you saw what they did when they invaded."

"But didn't Nolan save you from my... Tendril spell before I stopped it?"

Applejack became unusually quiet, and it made me curious as to how she would respond. After a minute, she finally broke the silence. "Maybe, but I don't like it. I feel like he's using me."

It was time to intervene, defend myself, something to show that I was not those humans I killed. "Something you two want to tell me?" I asked as I sauntered into the room.

It was a lovely room, but a bit too lively for my tastes. It was what you would find in a normal living room: sofa, coffee table, and such. However, the walls were covered with bookshelves, from the floor to the ceiling.

Twilight chuckled sheepishly from the dark green sofa she and Applejack were sharing. "How long were you listening?" She asked with an awkward smile.

Crossing my arms, I replied, "Long enough."

Seeing an open armchair that was across from them, I walked over to it and plopped down, resting my head back. "Alright," I started, closing my eyes. "I want to know all about the invasion, no holding back."

"You don't know?" Twilight questioned skeptically. How many times did I hear that question? Too much to count that's for sure.

"I'm not from around here," I said without moving, then sat up resting my chin on my hands, giving Twilight a cold stare, "so no, I don't know."

"Applejack?" Twilight asked like one would an adviser. She looked over and gave a nod, as if confirming what I said. "Alright so let's say you don't know, what do you want to know?"

"Everything," I replied simply, sitting back up, "What happened here, why there are creatures that should not exist, stuff like that."

Twilight seemed hesitant, rubbing the side of her head, "Where do I even begin?"

"How about where Applejack left off," I offered, "When you and your friends went to check out... the Crystal Empire, if I remember correctly."

Twilight nodded, sadness building up on her face, "Well, my friends and I went to check out the damage done to the city after the battle. What we found was... terrible; most of the guards were dead, and the city was practically destroyed. But Pinkie took it the worst..."

I raised a brow, "One of your friends?"

She nodded reluctantly and continued, "She couldn't make ponies smile with so much sadness. She turned into... someone else. Someone who was not Pinkie, but some crazy mare that I've never met before in my life. I think Rainbow knew something about it."

"Wait, she turned from herself to some psycho just because she couldn't make people... smile?"

"Yeah," Applejack jumped in, "She's the type that wants everypony to smile and be happy. Kind of hard to do that when..."

She trailed off and dipped her head, and Twilight did the same, in some silent mourning. "Death is present," I finished, closing my eyes. These ponies were so innocent that even the thought of death was foreign to them. I wish our world came close to that. I could still remember the first time I saw death; it still lingers in my mind like an omnipresent shadow.

Shaking the haunting thought out of my head, I decided to know more about this princess. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" I inquired, gesturing towards Twilight. She must have known about how I changed the subject, but she seemed content with the notion.

"Well, I've been a princess for a few months now, before the invasion," she explained. "I lived in Ponyville before my coronation, but I turned into an Alicorn after a certain... incident."

I figured that this 'incident' she spoke of was rather embarrassing, or somewhere along those lines. Still, if it wasn't pertaining to this whole invasion business, then it wasn't important. "So you became an Alicorn which means you become a princess?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly," she said with a smile.

"So what were you before you became... that?"

"A Unicorn of course! Wouldn't be the Element of Magic if I wasn't!" She answered with glee.

"Typical," I grumbled, "Anyway, why are you in this bunker?"

"Princess Celestia ordered me here," she answered, sitting up straighter than before. "She said to come here to study humans."

"Study humans?" I asked in disbelief, "But wouldn't it be better to study humans outside?"

Twilight's bright attitude faltered slightly, and her smile diminished as well, "It was something that crossed my mind, but I'm sure Princess Celestia had her reasons."

These ponies put a lot of faith in their Princess; not once had they spoken about her in hatred. She must have been a good ruler. "Alright, what did you learn?" I questioned, wondering the viewpoint of someone who had done external research.

"Well, I learned that humans are just as intelligent as ponies, and that they have more dexterity with their hands and fingers. They also go through constant strife with one another."

Textbook knowledge from an alien race; figured as much, considering she seemed like the book-worm type. She opened her mouth to continue, but Applejack stopped her by placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Twi', how do you know so much about humans anyway?" she said, "It's been botherin' me ever since Princess Celestia gave ya the assignment."

"From all these books she lent me!" she exclaimed flying over to a high shelf behind me. I twisted my waste to get a better look as she extracted one book in particular. "They talk about human anatomy, culture, and everything!"

"Now, how in the hay does Princess Celestia have books on humans?" she questioned rather harshly, causing Twilight to flinch. "We thought they were a myth three months ago, then suddenly they come out of nowhere."

Twilight clutched the book in her hooves harder as she looked down. "I... I don't know," she admitted, "She never told me."

"Let me get this straight," I jumped in, standing back up, and walking to a random shelf, reading a few of the titles. "This Celestia sent Twilight here to this bunker for the sole purpose of learning about humans as an invasion was taking place?"

"I guess when you put it that way..." Twilight said with regret.

"Say Nolan," Applejack spoke up, "What're those letters on your back? S - W - A - T, swat?"

I looked back at them with a surprised expression. I should have known that they wouldn't know what S.W.A.T. was, but I had forgotten those four letters were still on my combat vest. "S.W.A.T. It stands for Special Weapons And Tactics. It's a branch of the law enforcement back home. We deal with high-risk operations that require precision and military-grade maneuvers."

"Whoa," Twilight said, hovering over to me while staring, her face filled with excitement. "You've got to tell me all about it!"

"I don't see why not," I said with a grin, turning to face them fully, slipping my hands into my pockets. That's when my fingers touched the documents still in my pockets, and I was reminded of the situation I was in. It also made me wonder if Twilight washed them with my clothing. I averted my eyes as my demeanor went serious, "On second thought, I think it's high time I head home."

Twilight's face fell quicker than I've ever seen one before, "Right now?"

I nodded, "I don't belong here, and I would rather deal with the problems in my own world right now."

Applejack scoffed facing away from me. "Selfish as always," I heard her mutter, causing me to rub my forehead.

"Look, Applejack," I said, gazing at her sternly, "I don't want to solve your problems, okay? I don't belong here, and therefore don't have any obligation to help anyone."

"I guess that's true," Twilight admitted, floating back to the floor. Then she looked up at me with glee. "But maybe you can make an exception-"

"No," I repeated, narrowing my eyes. There was absolutely no reason for me to help these ponies. And what the hell would I do? Fight back an entire nation of humans?

"Alright," Twilight gave up, sighing in exasperation as she walked past me. "I'll look up trans-dimensional travel, if I have something on it."

I couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not, but I nodded nonetheless and made my way back to the armchair. As I sat back down, I gave off a small smile as I leaned my head back. I felt my chest fill with relief - I would finally leave this place once and for all.

"I can't believe you," Applejack whispered, and I looked over to her to see her standing in front of me. "Why won't ya help us? We need it!"

"You expect me to fight an army!" I exclaimed, my temper building. "What could I change?! I can't tip the balance or whatever!"

"Uh, oh," I heard Twilight mumble, but I was too into the argument to react to it.

I don't expect ya ta do anything like that!" she said, placing her forelegs on the armrests as she got in my face. "I just think ya should help others around ya!"

"I do that every fucking day!" I shouted, gripping my legs tightly to restrain myself. "Why should I help you guys anyway!? You hate me, don't you!?"

"Maybe because you have to," I heard Twilight whisper, but it was enough for me to recoil, my face in shock. Applejack was just as surprised as we both turned our heads in her direction. Her nose was in another book, which was bright green and on the floor.

"What're ya sayin', sugarcube?" Applejack said cautiously, as she jumped off of my chair, walking over to Twilight.

"It says here in 'Through the Wormhole and Back' - by Starswirl the Bearded - that to go from one universe to another is extremely difficult; not even Princess Celestia could pull something like that off," she explained, not even looking up at us.

"So, how did I get here?" I inquired, standing back up as I crossed my arms. "There isn't even any magic where I'm from."

"Really?" Twilight said in amazement, looking up from her book.

"Stay on topic, Twi'," Applejack reminded, with a bored gaze. Twilight gave an embarrassed chuckle, and looked back at the book grimly, clearing her throat.

"Well, answering your question, Nolan," she addressed pointing at something in the book. "I don't really know, but I do know how to get you back home."

"Great," I said, clapping my hands together, "so let's get it done."

"That's the thing," Twilight sighed, shaking her head gloomily, "I need the Elements of Harmony to get you home."

Applejack's jaw dropped, and Twilight nodded solemnly as if it was an obvious fact. I was just plain confused now. "What the hell are the... Elements of Harmony?" I asked, throwing my arms out in front of me to show my puzzlement.

"I guess you wouldn't know," Twilight admitted, walking over to me.

"I don't even think most humans know," Applejack agreed, stepping to the side to make room for her friend as they both stood in front of me.

"The Elements of Harmony are six artifacts representing the elements of friendship. And me and my friends, in turn, are those elements," she explained rather simply. It all sounded corny to me, but if it's part of this world, I couldn't really deny it.

"Okay," I drew out, my mind working fast so I don't look like an idiot. "So, what are the 'elements'?"

"I represent Magic," Twilight said, pointing to herself, "and Applejack represents Honesty."

That would explain why Applejack was talking about lying, and why she can't lie herself. "I think I get it so far," I said, rubbing my chin, "what are the other four elements?"

"Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Generosity," Twilight recited, "And each of my friends represents one of them."

"Right, right," I waved off. I could figure things out just fine; I didn't need to be reminded of something that was literally said a minute ago. "Now, what does it have to do with me getting home?"

"If my friends and I, with the help of the Elements of Harmony, come together," she stated, as she walked away back to the book, "we can conjure enough magic to send you back home. In theory."

I was about to cheer, but a nagging feeling inside of me told me that there was a catch - there's always a catch. "And where are your friends and the elements?" I asked, regretting asking the question already.

Twilight gulped as she closed the book, "I don't know where my friends are, and the elements are locked up in Canterlot."

I blinked, "You mean Camelot, right?"

It was Applejack's turn to blink, giving me an odd look, "No, it's Canterlot."

So now there was a place that was a parody of something back on Earth? I was afraid to see if there were other cities like that in this bizarre place. Sighing, I sat back down in the armchair, leaning my head back to gaze at the ceiling, slowly allowing the new information to sink in. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

A long silence was what continued, the two ponies moving away to give me space. I just sat there with the thoughts of everything that had happened. It was almost too much. I would have to help these ponies find their friends and get the Elements of Harmony if I wanted to return home. I was sure the other people here would love to get in my way as well. In short, I would have to do some shit to get what I want. When I finally looked back up, the ponies were waiting patiently on the sofa with expressions of expectancy.

I quickly stood up, cracking my neck as the soreness was setting in. "Okay," I said quietly, "Where do we start?

* * *

**All chapters from now on will be uploaded at random times in the future. Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long to write and upload. Also, if you haven't checked out Legion222's profile, shame on you.**


	4. Chapter 4: Asylum

**At some point in the chapter, there will be an option to go to this link: watch?v=uy-D67LGwkY. When you see this (*), head for the link.**

* * *

Lost and Fallen

Chapter 4: Asylum

The sky was littered with brilliant stars. Each one similar, yet different. It was all I could stare at as I sat on top of the bunker entrance, my feet dangling over the edge. My right hand was occupied with the newly lit cigarette, while the other was resting on my lap. Twilight and Applejack were inside, probably fuming over the arguement that I had, admittedly, started.

"Not my fault they can't understand humans," I growled as I inhaled from my cigarette.

Still, the situation kept repeating over and over in my head, like a horrible nightmare. I wondered how they thought of me now, but my mind would not stop replaying the events. "And to think," I mumbled, "it all started with a good plan..."

{~+~}

"A friend nearby?" I asked, wondering if I had heard right.

"Yeah," Twilight said as she was overlooking the small map of the area around Ponyville; which was laid out on the coffee table. "It's Pinkie Pie."

"You mean the friend that went crazy?" I deadpanned; she was going after that friend first?

Nodding, Twilight pointed with a hoof at a spot on the map. I leaned down to get a closer look, and saw she was indicating an area north of Ponyville. Even if we were headed for this 'Pinkie Pie', it was a relief to know we wouldn't have to travel far.

"From my calculations, it should be about fourteen miles away," she explained, while staring ahead, presumably doing the math in her head. "That's about a day's travel."

"_Fourteen_ miles?" I responded with disbelief. I'd walked long distances before, but if that place was that far away, finding Twilight's other friends would be a lot more challenging.

"Yeah, not a problem," she replied gleefully, causing me to furrow my brow at her. She saw it and looked at me with a blank expression. "What?"

"Nothing," I said, rubbing my eyes. "So, what exactly are we heading for?"

Twilight faced the map again, all cheerfulness gone. "It's an asylum Princess Celestia built for all the traumatized ponies during the war. We've... never had death so prominent, and many ponies didn't take it so well."

"Figured as much," I whispered, standing straight to stretch out my legs. "Here's another question: why is it in the middle of nowhere?"

Twilight's ears folded back as she looked away. "Princess Celestia didn't want to risk the poor, mentally unstable ponies to hurt others," she replied quietly, "and she also didn't want morale to diminish everytime ponies saw the building."

"War strategies," I mumbled idly, rubbing my chin, "are you sure there was no other war before this one?"

Twilight shook her head solemnly as Applejack entered the room with a bowl of apples on her back. "Not from any book I've read," she answered, "Princess Celestia wouldn't talk about her past much."

"Not even to you?" I inquired as Applejack placed the bowl on the coffee table, "Her most faithful student?"

Applejack sat down beside Twilight, an apple in her hoof, and answered the question with a slight chuckle, "Kinda surprised us too."

Using her magic, Twilight levitated an apple from the bowl. Before Twilight could take a bite, however, she froze, as if having a sudden revelation.

"Uh, you alright?" I asked carefully, looking her over.

She narrowed her eyes at me as she said, "How do you know that Princess Celestia called me that?"

Well, that was one question that I was able to find the answer to myself. Of course, it was just a guess, and I really didn't know - yet she verified it for me easily. "I found a letter that was addressed to you, back in Ponyville," I answered, jabbing a thumb behind me to the figurative town.

Twilight's suspicious demeanor changed quickly, as she was utterly surprised. "You found a letter?" She asked, her face lighting up. I gave a small nod, reaching into my pocket while we all ate our apples; just as juicy as the one back at Sweet Apple Acres. I retrieved the letter, but before I could place it on the coffee table, Twilight grasped it in her magic and hovered it over to her face, reading intently.

After a few seconds, she looked over the letter to me, an eyebrow raised, "That's strange how you found my letter after all this time.

"If you think that's strange," I replied darkly, my eyes to the floor, "then you should see things from my perspective."

That shut her up, as she averted her eyes and Applejack, of course, narrowed her eyes at me. I gave a quick smirk while the only noise in the room was the three of us eating our food, lost in our own thoughts.

I wished I had my weapons back, I always felt comfortable with them, and with a dangerous place like this, I wanted them more than ever. "Can I have my guns back?" I asked suddenly; no point in beating around the bush.

Twilight looked over to Applejack, and she shook her head. I had a feeling that Applejack was saying some nasty stuff behind my back. Facing me again, Twilight smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Nolan, but I think it's for the best if we kept them for now."

I squeezed my apple tightly, keeping my anger in check. As I've said, I feel weak if I'm at a disadvantage, and this was definitely one of those moments. "I want my stuff, now," I seethed.

Twilight swallowed, but Applejack didn't back down. "She said no, Nolan," she reminded me bitterly, tossing her apple core into a nearby bin.

"And I said I want them back," I shot back, "Why can't I have them?"

"I... W-Well, we decided that-" Twilight started hesitantly.

"We wanted to make sure ya wouldn't kill Twilight with 'em," Applejack finished, nodding for emphasise.

"God dammit, Applejack," I growled loudly, slapping a hand over my face, "You're stubborn as a mule!"

"Well, you're not wrong," Twilight muttered.

"Ya still have no proof that you're really from another world," she said rather calmly, pointing an accusatory hoof at me. "You're friendliness could just be a big trick."

"It isn't a damn trick!" I shouted, my anger let loose, "I don't have proof for crap! What the hell do you want from me!? What did those humans ever do to you!?"

"A lot of things," she said slowly and surely, like it was a matter of fact. I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes closed tightly in agitation.

"Fuck this," I grumbled, storming out of the door for the exit. The ponies didn't try to stop me, nor even utter a word. I was somewhat glad of that, I might have hurt them if they had.

{~+~}

Taking a drag from my cigarette, I knew I could've handled it better, yet my old habits got in the way. Still, I figured I deserved to have my weapons, especially Vera. Emma would have wanted me to hold on to it.

Just thinking about Emma and that dream I had gave me shivers. God I missed her, even a year after her death. I still beat myself up over it. Everyone always tells me that I couldn't do anything about it, and that's exactly why I beat myself about it. I couldn't do a damn thing.

My train of thought was broken when the door below me opened, and light streamed into the darkness, showing the shadow of a pony. The pony walked out and revealed itself to be Applejack, and she had my weapons in her saddle bag. That was a surprise to me, and I would've called out right away, but I didn't want to startle her. She stepped forward slightly, looking around anxiously.

"Uh, Nolan?" she called, taking a few more steps into the open. "Where are ya?"

"Up here," I replied quietly. My strategy worked, and she didn't freak out. Instead, she slowly turned to me with curiosity, and I gave a lazy wave at her. She didn't say anything from there, and instead walked up around the incline to the side and sat on her haunches to my right. She took out my weapons and placed them on the ground gently, which caused me to raise a brow.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I inquired, taking another puff from my cigarette.

Playing with her hooves, she replied, "It felt right. I sort of trust ya, but I guess I am stubborn. My pride always got in the way in the past, and it got in the way now."

"Pride," I mulled over, my gaze skyward. "That would make sense."

"So," Applejack started, looking over to my weapons, "Why are these so important for ya?"

A smirk showed on my face as I reached over for one particular gun, my revolver. I held it above my lap, checking it over as I spoke, "Just this one, mostly. It's very important to me."

"Did a friend give it to ya or somethin'?" She asked obviously, forcing me to give a quick sigh.

"More than a friend," I clarified, throwing open the cylinder to check the ammunition inside; full as when I loaded it. "My… girlfriend."

"Ya have a girlfriend?" Applejack asked incredulously. I was willing to bet that she had doubts that anyone would be interested in me.

"Not anymore; She's gone," I replied darkly.

"Oh," she said, facing away as her ears drooped, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I don't know about you, so I'd say we're even," I replied half-heartedly; I already got enough sympathy from the police station.

"I suppose you're right," she nodded, "Maybe I can tell you when I'm ready?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Then I can do the same?"

She gave a smile back, and I blinked with shock dominating my face. That was a rare sight for me, she saw my stunned expression and chuckled. "Yeah," she said after a few laughs, "then we can understand each other."

"Sounds good to me," I laughed, taking another drag from my cigarette. Applejack eyed my cigarette as I did so, I suppose they wouldn't be familiar with something like it.

"It's a cigarette," I explained, holding it up as it was nearly finished. "When it burns, it releases smoke that the user inhales."

"Isn't smoke bad for ya?" she asked, tilting her head to the side while lifting a hoof.

"It sure is," I said with a shrug, flicking away the stub.

"Then why do ya use it?"

"It helps me get through tough times," I said with a distant expression. Applejack quieted down after that, laying down on her stomach. We just sat there, staring off into the twinkling sky. We could plan when to leave and which direction to go later. At that moment, nothing else really mattered. Just the endless sky, and the large moon.

{~+~}

At some point, Applejack and I went back inside to rest. Sleeping on the couch was no big deal, but Twilight was fretting about my wounds. She was really oblivious to what the humans did to her kind. I think she saw that I wasn't part of them, but it worried me more than it should. All in all, the bed wasn't too bad, I wished my couch was half as comfy.

The worst part was the nightmare I had. It was an exact repeat from last time, with Emma calling out my name and me waking up in cold sweat. I couldn't understand why these dreams were so prevalent suddenly. And why were the dreams an almost exact copies of each other? Whatever the reason, I didn't sleep well at all.

The next morning was deathly quiet as we all got up and gathered what we would need for the trip. Though waking up early might be the reason for the silence, I think it was last night's argument that shut all of us up; we just weren't ready to speak with each other yet.

The food in Twilight's bunker was strange: just apples. I understood that she was from Ponyville, so she would love apples, but how did they stay preserved for months? I guess saying 'magic' would answer half the questions I had, but that just seemed lazy. Twilight packed more than I thought was possible, sporting a very light blue saddle bag with her own Cutie Mark as a buckle. Everybody must have their own personal saddlebags.

Hours pass by, and the landscape that had once enchanted me was ruined by the sweltering sun. How I didn't feel it last time was a mystery to me, but now it was burning hot, especially with my mask on. I spoke my discontent aloud, and Applejack gave me a strange look as she trotted to my side.

"Why do you wear that mask all the time anyway?" she asked, "It must be a mite hot with it on."

I scratched the back of my neck as I thought of an answer. Why did I have it on a lot of the time? It wasn't really necessary. However, when I thought about it, the answer clicked. "It hides my identity," I replied, but it wasn't really enough, as even Twilight was giving me funny looks. "The other people here only recognize me with my mask on."

"So, you're like a masked vigilante like in one of my books!" Twilight summed up with a smile.

"That's one way to put it," I agreed reluctantly; next she's going to say I'm a superhero. "But I won't be recognized by the others without it, so I can navigate cities without getting out my revolver."

"How did you manage that?" Twilight asked with a tilted head.

"Dumb luck," I shrugged while pulling out a piece of paper. I handed it to Twilight who took it in her magic and unfurled it to reveal my Wanted poster.

"200 bits!?" she shouted, forcing me to jump back with a curse as we all halted in our tracks. "How did you get 200 bits on you?!"

"Jeez," I commented harshly, rubbing the ear that was closest to her, "keep it down, will ya?"

"Do you know how much that is?" she inquired hysterically, to which I shook my head. "That's enough for a month's worth of apples!"

I wasn't sure how to respond to that - Sure, there were probably a dozen choices which I could've said on the spot, but something about that sentence caught me off guard.

"Sugarcube," Applejack walked over to her, "I told you, he… killed other humans."

"What!?" She remarked quickly with complete surprise. That was what was stopping me - how shocked she was about my bounty. Didn't Applejack fill her in?

"I told you last night," Applejack reminded.

"Oh," she said simply and quietly, feeling ashamed. "Now I remember."

She chuckled nervously; well that explained that.

"Come on, let's keep moving," I said, gesturing forward. The two ponies looked over and gave a firm nod as they took the lead. I had no idea where we were heading - even with the map - so it was for the best that they showed me the way.

{~+~}

The sun had reached the crest of its movement, when Twilight called out to us, "There it is!"

Looking over, I couldn't believe it was a functional building. It was large, that was obvious, about three stories tall and twice as wide. Many of the glass windows - which had metal bars outside of them - had burst open, and the few that were still intact had many cracks. The walls were scuffed up by the elements, and faded paint covered them. A stone wall surrounded the building with a wooden gate, and a noticeable piece of cloth was hanging out of a second-story window.

I didn't say anything, though, and instead briskly walked to the building, passing through the gate, with the two ponies hot on my trail. "In a rush, are we?" Applejack snarled, but i didn't care as I neared the wooden double doors.

"The sooner we find your friends, the better," I responded as my hand landed on the door handle. As she groaned I pulled on the handle, but it wouldn't budge. I gave it another tug but nothing. Gripping it with both hands, I used all my strength to open the doors. The doors opened slightly, but not enough for even a mouse to squeeze through.

"What the…" I whispered as I backed away to see the problem. It was quite obvious; a piece of rope was wrapped around both handles. That I had missed it was embarrassing to say the least.

"What in tarnation," Applejack mumbled when she saw the same thing. "Who did that?"

"Humans trying to keep something in?" Twilight suggested, a hoof rubbing her chin.

"Well, they're in for a rude awakening," I announced, unsheathing the knife attached to my shoulder. Flipping my hold on it, I cut the rope with ease and returned the blade. I pulled again and the door came open, with a terrifying surprise.

A dead human body, which apparently had been leaning against the doors, fell forward, causing the three of us to backpedal quickly in horror. We were speechless as we examined the body from a distance. It looked smashed in, with cuts and gashes all over it. It was also rotted, if the smell was any indicator.

"What…" Twilight squeaked out, backing away still. This would be her first sight of a rotting corpse. Kneeling down, I checked it out while scrunching up my nose. Boy, did it stink!

"I can't tell what the cause of death was, but it seems obvious that-" I cut myself off as I looked into the hallway that the door opened up into. Three other bodies, all with the same gruesome abuse, were there.

"Oh my… goodness…" Twilight whispered before falling to her stomach shivering uncontrollably. Even Applejack was having the shakes. I've never seen either pony behave this way. Facing the interior again, I noted that it was very dark in there, with only the few rays of sunlight to show me that there was more to the room.

"Your friend, Pinkie Pie… is in there?" I asked as I stood up and pointed inside; I could feel the trace of fear in my voice.

"Yes," Applejack whispered quickly, as if saying the word would release all hell.

Something went down here, that was an undeniable fact. But what killed these people? Something that humans had to lock in. I decided to keep my guesses under control until I figured out what happened. I turned to the two ponies who were scared out of their minds. They wouldn't go inside even if they were forced. Which only meant one thing.

"I'll go in alone," I said, unholstering my revolver and grasping it tightly. There was no refute from either pony, though I swear I heard Twilight say something about insanity. Swallowing a lump that was forming in my throat, I warily stepped over the bodies of the deceased and made my way through the hallway.

The first thing I found out about the place was how cold it was. The building barely had any sunlight and the heating system of the building must have been offline for awhile. I wasn't complaining though, it felt good. Luckily, the hallway was straight most of the time. At some point, I saw a message written on the wall in blood. It was quite large in font, and the implications that ponies wrote it was just scary:

_A mind is a terrible thing to waste_

I'm sure that had _nothing_ to do with this asylum.

My trip led me to an intersection, and it would put me completely out of view of my only known exit. Sucking it up, I continued to the right, revolver at the ready.

There was the occasional bloody body, but it barely deterred me. What gave me second thoughts was the sound. There wasn't any. Not a peep could be heard throughout the entire building. If there was anyone inside, I would be able to hear them, especially with it being so damn quiet.

There was so many rooms that I had to be wary of potential ambushes. My training told me to check each room carefully, but in the darkness, I may have skipped a few. Most of the rooms were padded cells, but what worried me was that they were empty. Not a body or anything.

Eventually, I entered some sort of office. The body of another human was hunched over a small wooden desk. There was nothing major to note in the room, but when I was about to leave, my eyes glanced over a piece of paper on the floor.

Picking it up while the dirt slid off, I read what it said:

_Dear Hale,_

_I hoped there was a way for my little ponies to return to their original selves the normal way. However, based on the information you gathered and your recommendation, I see no other way. Please note that I do not want the Psychonas Potion dispersed to the patients until it is certified that it will cause no side effects. Especially for the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie. Leave her for last, as I still have faith that she will return to her old self on her own. Just give her time. I thank you for your efforts and I await the results of the patients._

_-Princess Celestia_

_P.S. Give my regards to Dusty Hall, and a raise, since he's working a fair amount of overtime._

Another letter by the Princess, and this time she contacted the pony who I assume was the doctor in charge of this asylum. But what happened when this 'potion' was given to the patients? And when did the humans get involved? Folding the letter up, I put it in my pocket with the rest, and made my way out. I still had work to do.

As I left the room, I heard silent skittering to the right of me. While cursing under my breath, I aimed my revolver in the direction of the noise, but I only saw a piece of metal leaning crooked against the wall. It swayed slightly, giving off a low metallic thud every time it hit the wall. Was I hearing things? That seemed unlikely, as I've never had a problem with my ears before. Though there was a first time for everything.

Taking a shaky breath, I turned back to the hallway and followed the signs to the stairs, and while I climbed them, I had this nagging feeling that I was being followed. I had had enough of this building already and I wanted to find Pinkie as fast as possible, if she was still alive.

As I reached the second floor, I began to hear a faint noise. As I continued, I realized it was a voice. I walked down another hallway with patient rooms on the sides until the voice became distinguishable. That's when I realized it wasn't someone speaking, but _singing_… (*)

_Hush now, quiet now_

_It's time to lay your sleepy head..._

_Hush now, quiet now_

_It's time to go to bed…_

_Drifting off to sleep_

_Exciting day behind you…_

_Drifting off to sleep_

_Let the joy of dreamland find you…_

The way it softly echoed throughout the dark and desolate halls was like a scene out of a horror movie. Needless to say, I was scared shitless, which was a first. The singer kept repeating the lyrics and the tone did not change in pitch for even a second. Like it was practiced. Not only that, but I heard more rustling behind me, though I didn't bother to turn around.

"I gotta get out of here," I mumbled, knowing that there was no chance I would find Pinkie in a place like this. Just as I turned around to head back, something screamed and slammed into my face. The screaming continued as whatever attacked me continued its assault, two hard surfaces slamming into my face over and over. I shoved whatever it was off, and it yelped as it landed on the ground hard. I faced whatever it was, revolver pointed at it.

It was a pony. A pony in a broken straight jacket.

I paused just for a moment at that piece of info, and it gave the pony another chance to jump me. Thankfully, I shook off my hesitation and shot a bullet through the skull, killing him instantly. The bang from my revolver echoed through the building, but it did not disrupt whoever was singing. Second after second, I waited for something to happen; I had a feeling that it wouldn't be good.

Then I heard a scream, then another, and another. There were so many ponies screaming that it was deafening. And the worse part was that it was coming from all around me. Almost as one, the crazy ponies crawled out from wherever they were hiding, twitching slightly and muttering to themselves. All of them had broken straight jackets on, and a few had a knives clenched in their drooling mouths. They were literally coming out of everywhere: the doors, the ends of the hallway, and the ventilation. All the while, the mare was still singing.

Knowing quickly that I would need some breathing space, I ran down the hallway, kicking a pony that was in my way. The others gave chase, but my long strides were able to outpace them for the moment. When I was at a reasonable distance, I whipped around and began shooting at anything that moved. I saw a few bodies fall, but there were still too many.

I continued running back, taking a few bullets out of my vest pouches as I reloaded. It wasn't easy to run at full speed while delicately putting bullets in my revolver, but I made it work. Their endurance was quickly overcoming my speed, and I was growing tired. This meant that I couldn't afford to stop and shoot again. I aimed my revolver over my left shoulder at the nearest pony while maintaining my speed the best I could. I fired, and he tumbled back. Another one jumped at me, but I was able to shoot it as well before it landed on me.

Facing forward again, I saw that there were two sets of stairs coming up; one going up and the other down. I intended to get out of this place, so I headed for the stairs going down, however, just before I reached them, I could see other crazy ponies make their way up. Thinking on my feet, I veered away from that set of stairs and climbed upward to the third floor. Now, I was trapped; if I couldn't find another set of stairs or something soon, I would be smashed to a pulp by these ponies.

I repeated the movement of reloading and running, albeit a lot slower, and almost paid the price as one of the crazies was able to lodge a knife on my lower leg. I gave a small grunt of pain as I gritted my teeth. I kicked off the pony, but the knife remained, so now I was limping as fast as I could.

The hoard was still after me, and I was running out of options very fast. With little else to do, I holstered my revolver, got out my shotgun and blasted two ponies who were a little too close. After pumping my shotgun, I shot at another pony a bit further away as I backed away. Pumping and shooting another pony, I knew I was nearing a dead end, with only a door as my salvation. When I had the opportunity, I swung open the door, jumped in, and slammed it shut.

I saw a lock, thankfully, and hastily slid it in place. My lungs were on fire, as well as my leg, and I reached down and pulled out the knife with a grimace. I hate it when someone does that. Tossing the knife to the side, I fell to my knees as I listened for the crazy ponies. There was still muttering, but strangely, they weren't trying to enter. And the singing had ceased as well. Thinking nothing of it, I rested my head against the cushioned door and allowed myself a break.

That's when the occupant of the room jumped on my back, hooves pressed against my throat as I dropped my shotgun. I swung around blindly, trying to knock the pony off. Feeling myself losing consciousness, I ran backwards and slammed the pony into the wall. There was a whine and the pony released me, sliding along the wall to the floor as I stumbled forward. I coughed a few times and rubbed my throat tenderly; it was worse than having human hands strangling me.

"That's it," I growled as I unholstered my revolver again, turning around slowly, "Now I'm really-"

I stared at the pony with my revolver aiming at her head. She was shivering and facing away with eyes closed. I couldn't believe who I was seeing; I was told that she would be pink, as her name implies, but I had thought it was an exaggeration. Sure enough, she was pink all over.

Pinkie Pie.

Her mane and tail were a dark shade of pink while her coat was a slightly lighter pink. Both her mane and tail were straight as an arrow, which made her pretty damn creepy. She had a few stray spots of blood around her hooves, but that was probably from simply walking around.

"Are you… Pinkie PIe?" I asked, lowering my revolver. She opened one eye to see that I wasn't threatening her any more, then glared at me.

"N-No," she responded, "I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie."

"Then why do your friends call you Pinkie Pie?"

She gave a nervous spasm for a moment, before narrowing her eyes at me. "I don't have any friends, they all abandoned me in this place," she explained, facing away with a scowl.

I scratched my neck awkwardly, this was confusing. "Right, whatever," I replied, throwing my hand in the air. "Let's just leave."

"Leave!?" Pinkie shouted, like I had given a preposterous plan. "You can't just leave! Nopony can leave!"

She looked down at her hooves with sadness, "Nopony…"

We stood in silence as I looked around the room. There was a metal-framed bed that sat underneath a barred window with a bit of food stashed underneath it, and a toilet in the corner of the room. Facing Pinkie again, I saw how exhausted and skinny she looked. It must have been rough staying in place like this.

"How long have you been here?" I inquired walking over to the window; my leg flared up but I ignored it.

"How long since humans started the invasion?" she shot back.

"I guess it would be three months ago."

"Then that's how long I was here."

Sighing, I looked out the window at into the golden fields. There was no question that she was crazy, but the question is why she hasn't lost her lid completely yet. The other ponies were deadly and out for blood, yet here she was, just barely holding on. What factor had her stay like this for so long?

That's when I remembered the letter I picked up. I swiveled on the spot and crossed my arms, as I pondered whether to ask. I decided fairly quickly, "Have you heard anything about a potion?"

She flinched at the mere mention of it, and looked around quickly, as if searching for someone who was listening. "That… thing that they gave the others?" she questioned trotting over to the bed as she scrounged through it.

"Yeah," I answered, watching her every move, "I read something about it helping the patients here."

"Lies!" she shouted suddenly, putting her forehooves on her bed. "All lies!"

"I'm guessing it didn't work."

"The potion didn't save ponies," Pinkie explained with a shake of her head. "It did for a while, but it made the ponies go even more crazy."

"I bet you never took any of it."

"No," she replied in a hushed manner, "'too dangerous', they said, 'humans coming', they said."

I walked over to my shotgun and picked it up, looking it over to see if it was damaged in anyway. "So the humans came when they were giving the potions," I assumed, "and this potion helped ponies for a little while, but eventually caused them to worsen. Then the doctors and guards fled when the humans arrived, leaving the patients here. Fucking cowards."

Pinkie didn't object, but she didn't agree either, causing me to give a long sigh. After attaching the shotgun to my back, I walked over to her and stood behind her, a hand reaching out to her. It nearly touched her shoulder, but I stopped myself short. She probably didn't want to be comforted by a human. If the ponies have one thing in common, it's that they hate my species' guts.

"Pinkie, we need to go," I said quietly. She didn't say a word, her gaze glued to the window that allowed sunlight to shine in. "We need your help to get me home and-"

"Kill this human, now!" she suddenly shouted, causing me to jerk my head back.

"We can't kill him," Pinkie denied afterwards. Wait, what? "He just went through all of them, why should he die?"

"But he's only in it for himself!" she shouted again. Was she arguing with herself?

"I know he has a selfish reason for doing this," Pinkie said to no one again, "he just told us."

"Us?" I repeated; she must have split personalities.

"Then why won't you kill him?!" she shrieked.

"Because…" she mumbled in reply to herself - this was too weird. Silence followed, and Pinkie dipped her head low. Then she began sobbing softly. Sure, she tried to cover it up the best she could by laying her head on the bed and rubbing her eyes, but she was sobbing nonetheless. "...I'm tired of all this sadness and depression! I don't want any more death!"

I lowered my head, thinking hard about the words that weren't even addressed to me. I was used to death by now, taking it from those who hardly deserved to live. But what of someone who had seen the aftermath of a battle, when that pony has never even seen someone die, especially with someone who likes to make others smile? I understood Pinkie a bit more.

"Pinkie," I said sternly, causing her to drop off the bed and turn to me with a few tears falling down her cheeks. She attempted to wipe them away, but before she could look up, I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. She didn't move, but that made me want to hug her more. I hadn't hugged anyone like this since Emma, but Pinkie deserved it.

She needed someone, right then and there.

Eventually, Pinkie leaned her head against my shoulder, reaching her hooves around as far as possible. "I'm sorry about all this, Pinkie," I apologized, even though I did nothing wrong.

"I hate your kind so much!" she hissed, and a more tears fell from her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," I responded gently, finally pulling away. She gave a shaky sigh, as she made for the door. I was about to ask what she was about to do, but she simply unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Whoa, Pinkie wait!"

I sprinted forward grabbed her by each side of her flank. She squealed and resisted immediately as I pulled her back. When I released her, she turned towards me with narrowed eyes, "Don't touch me!"

I ignored her and closed the door hastily, making sure that no ponies were nearby at the same time. Weirdly enough, there wasn't any at all. "You could've gotten us killed," I explained, re-locking the door, "It's not exactly peaceful out there."

Pinkie grew worried, "Yeah, I know. That's why I have the lock."

That was confusing for me; why would there be a lock inside a cell? "I installed it a while back, so they wouldn't slip inside while I slept," she explained.

"Still," I said, eyeing the door, "It must be hard to sleep in a place like this."

"I know," she agreed, a single tear shedding from an eye. "That's why I sing myself to sleep."

"Sing yourself…?" I repeated, "You were the one singing?"

She gave a small nod, and I rubbed my temples tiredly; that solved one concern. Looking at the door again, I knew we had zero chance of getting out alive. Hell, I hardly made it there in one piece. "Maybe we can go out the window?" She suggested like she read my mind, pointing a hoof at it. Then she shook her head, "No, no, that won't work. Those bars would get in the way."

Eyeing the window, I saw the bars she was indicating and a solution struck me. "Well, Pinkie, we might actually be able to go through the window," I assured, hopping on the bed as I looked out. It had no glass, unlike the other windows, so I clenched the bars tightly to not fall off, and hollered, "Twilight!"

I waited a few seconds for a response, but when none came, I repeated her name again. Then I heard someone exclaim, "Nolan?"

"Twilight! Up here!" I replied, "At the window!"

Hearing the distant sound of fluttering wings, I braced myself to see a pony fly for the first time, if their wings were capable of flight. Sure enough, Twilight came around the corner of the asylum, her wings spread out. It was elegant, I had to say, seeing something that would normally be impossible laid out before me. I shook off my stupor and put my concentration back on the situation.

"Over here, Twilight," I said, waving a hand through the bars. She saw me and flew over to the window, hovering just behind it.

"Hello, Nolan," she said as pleasantly as she could, but I see that she still felt disgusted by the dead bodies from earlier. "Did you find Pinkie Pie yet?"

"It's Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Pinkie snapped, making Twilight's mouth gape open.

"Is that…?" she asked, but seemed too out of breath to finish.

"It's Pinkie," I reassured, giving a glance over to Pinkie who was staring intently at the ground. "She's just… not herself, I guess."

Twilight looked very saddened by this, "And it was because of the humans?"

I faced her, almost feeling myself giving her a blank stare, "I don't think I need to answer that."

Twilight swallowed, and opened her mouth, but I knew exactly what she was going to say. "As I've said, I don't know why humans did this," I interrupted, causing her to close her mouth quickly. "Now just use your magic to get these bars off and fly us out of here."

"Can't you just… walk out?" she inquired with a tilt of her head. She seemed reluctant, like she knew the answer already.

"Not an option," I respond, "I'll explain once we're out of here."

Twilight gave a nod, and her horn held the aura of her magic as the bars shared the same. In an instant the bars disappeared, and I backed away as I went over to Pinkie, who still hadn't moved since I began my conversation with Twilight. "You first, Pinkie," I instruct, gesturing towards the window.

She slowly looked up to me with wonder, her eyes wide. "I can… leave?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yes, you can… Pinkie," Twilight whispered, probably not believing that she had found a friend after so long. This caused Pinkie to stay frozen at her spot. Her head swiveled to Twilight, who had a sad smile. Then, she returned the smile, albeit a very small one, and trotted over to the bed, hopped up, and slinked her way through the window. It wasn't too big, but it was enough for even myself to fit through.

Twilight carefully scooped Pinkie up by her armpits, and began to slowly descend to the ground. I watched from the window, until I heard an unwelcoming sound. Someone slamming into the locked door. I turned to it dramatically - not on purpose - and hoped that whatever did that would walk away. Another slam. Crap.

Even after two slams, the lock looked liked it was about to give; it wasn't a very strong one. I got out my revolver and pointed it at the door, wishing Twilight would hurry up. Another slam from behind the door. The lock was on its last legs. Another slam and a pony burst through the door, and I gave him a bullet through the skull as a reward. Other crazy ponies swarmed into the room, but I was able to kill all of them quickly; having only one place for them to enter. I was so focused on killing each pony that came through, that I forgot to reload my revolver. So it came as a shock when it clicked empty.

By that time, there was already some bodies on the floor, and my back was against the wall as I stood on the bed. "Damn, Twilight!" I screamed, kicking a pony that was getting too close. "Where the hell are you!?"

"I'm coming, relax," I heard Twilight mutter spitefully as she neared the window, "Can't you-"

She looked through into the room, and she nearly lost her flight as she dipped a few feet. "Wh-What is happening!?" she shrieked in panic.

"Get us out of here, Twilight!" I ordered, as more were coming in, "Now!"

A bright purple light filled my vision, and then I was standing at the entrance of the building. Blinking stupidly, I looked in every direction to be sure it wasn't a trick, accidently putting weight on my injured leg. Applejack was here, Twilight was here, Pinkie was here, the open door…

"Shit!" I cursed as I sprung for the double doors grasping both and shutting it. I picked up the rope I had previously cut and tied it the best I could. I was no boy scout, but it would do. Seeing that we were safe, I released a breath that was being held subconsciously, and slunk to the ground. I took off my head gear and just fell to the floor on my back.

I hoped I never had to go through something like that again.

"Nolan," Applejack called out, "What are ya doing?"

I had never been so happy to hear Applejack's voice in my time in Equestria. I gave a weak grin, "Just catching a breather."

"What was in there?" she followed up, and I could hear Twilight shudder. Pushing myself to a sitting position and taking a deep breath, I explained everything that had transpired in the cursed building. Pinkie opted to stay out of the discussion, sulking a few meters away from us. When I finished, I wasn't surprised in the least how the ponies reacted: practically sick and horrified.

"The ponies… k-killed the humans?" Applejack asked. I nodded, and reached for the letter in my pocket.

"I also found this in an office," I explained, passing the letter to Twilight. As she took it and glanced through, I continued, "It says something about a 'potion' that probably worsened the psychotic ponies in here."

"I remember this," Twilight whispered with slight awe, looking over to me. "Princess Celestia was talking about it a few times, but I never knew she used used the potion."

"No offense, Twi'," Applejack said, "but you didn't know a lot of things when you were in that there bunker."

As the two spoke with each other, I saw Pinkie stare at the dry fields like a newborn looking into a new world. I stood up, wincing a bit from my leg, strolled over, and stood behind her, but didn't bother her. She was deep in thought. "It…" she finally spoke, "looks so different, yet familiar."

I remained silent, waiting for her to go on. "Let's leave 'em! They deserted you, left you to rot in that place! Then again, you're nothing to everypony. Not even your closest friends helped you. You should just kill yourself!"

Twilight and Applejack faced over to Pinkie, eyes wide. They were so stunned that they could only stare at her as she continued.

"But… they came back for me," she replied to herself. She was going into another self argument.

"For their own selfish needs! Once they're done, they'll throw you right back in!"

"N-No! That's not true…"

"Pinkie," I sighed, feeling depressed, "we can help you."

"How can you help me!?" she shouted, tears dropping from her face, "The doctors couldn't do anything, how can anyone else!?"

I stood still for awhile as she wept, then reached into a vest pouch and extracted another cigarette from the case. I also took out my lighter and easily lighted my cigarette, taking a few puffs. I held it in my hand, as I finally answered Pinkie's question. "Take it from someone who has had experience," I explained simply.

"I don't think you were locked up in some asylum," she hissed, turning her head towards me.

"Never said I did," I said, inhaling from my cigarette, "I just know what it feels like to think that no one can help you."

She gave a sorrowful expression as her mouth hung open slightly. She was surprised, obviously, but I didn't go further than that as I left my cigarette in my mouth and turned around to head for the other ponies. "W-Wait," she said, "Did your friends help you when you were in trouble?"

I clenched my hands into a fist as I suppressed my fury. "No," I said quietly, hate laced within my words as I strode away from her, while Twilight and Applejack trotted past me to comfort her.

{~+~}

After bandaging up my leg, we rested for a few hours to replenish our hunger and thirst - far away from the asylum, thankfully. The menu was apples, but I was growing used to that, but Pinkie seemed somewhat happy to have some real food in her. As we sat on the ground in a circle, the rolling hills of dry grass surrounding us, my mind kept thinking up a way to find the other three Elements of Harmony. The three ponies had no idea where any of them could be, so finding out where they were would make a good start.

"Hey Nolan," Twilight called to me, capturing my attention, "How do you get used to it? Y-You know, killing others?"

That question has been asked of me by many people, and I always gave the same answer, "I don't."

"Oh," she said, looking at anything but me as she took a bite from her apple. "W-Well, do you have a plan of where to go?"

"Nope-"

"Good, because I do," she interrupted with a smug smile, the previous topic forgotten. She asked that question on purpose, I just knew it. "If the humans have taken over Equestria, then they should have tabs on the… ponies, right?"

She still couldn't accept the fact that her kind were mostly slaves. I couldn't really blame her. Still, she had a point, "Where are you getting at?"

"Why don't we go to Ponyville and see if they have our friends filed around somewhere?" she proposed, with a gesture towards the direction of Ponyville. Well, I assume it was the direction.

"That's a good idea, sugarcube," Applejack praised, before speaking to me. "How 'bout it, Nolan?"

I shrugged, "I don't have anything better."

"Don't I get a say!?" Pinkie jumped in the middle, looking livid.

"O-Of course you do, Pinkie!" Twilight remedied, backing away from the sudden appearance. "What do you think?"

"I… like the idea," Pinkie mumbled with a sheepish smile; I'm going to have to get used to her craziness.

Standing up, I cupped my hand over my eyes to see better as I gazed out into the wilds, "I guess we're heading back to Ponyville then."

* * *

**I hope you don't hate me too much for the song I linked. Though you have to admit, it's pretty creepy. Also, the link is thanks to my second new editor: SomeGuyCamping.**


	5. Chapter 5: Answers

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 5: Answers**

Ponyville had hardly changed as we entered the town. The same buildings were still there, and the humans continued their daily routine of disciplining the ponies and living their lives. One thing that did change was the security. Everyone had bolt-action rifles strung over their shoulders, and there was numerous patrols coming and going.

Somehow, my prediction that my mask - which was in Twilight's saddle bag - would disguise me was spot on. No one gave me a second glance, and those who did quickly brushed it off. I was beyond thankful for that for two reasons. One, I didn't think I could fight a whole town with the weaponry they had. And two, we had no plan whatsoever.

Looking around, I tried to find out where to begin looking for the information we needed. All I could really see was wanted posters literally covering the buildings. A small humourous grunt escaped my lips when I saw that my bounty had risen again to six hundred bits. Applejack stared straight ahead, giving nervous gazes at each passerby, while Twilight simply looked on with curiosity. Pinkie Pie just followed along depressedly.

"Hey!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed, drawing unwanted attention. After I gave her a death glare, she cleared her throat anxiously and whispered, "Why don't we head to my Library?"

"You used to own a library here?" I inquired; why would a princess be in charge of something so mundane?

"Yeah, you see," Twilight explained plainly, sounding like a teacher educating a student. "I wanted to stick close to my friends when I became a princess, so Princess Celestia allowed me to work out my royal duties while I stayed here."

"Huh," I replied, honestly approving of Celestia's actions. "Well, the Library is a start. So let's head over."

"What about where Jordan used ta work?" Applejack interjected, looking between us, "Wouldn't the Mayor have some stuff on our friends?"

I rubbed my chin, she had a good point. Jordan would have kept tabs on as many ponies as he could, and would most likely keep it close to him. The Town Hall. "Okay, let's split up," I suggested, "Twilight and I can head for the Library and Applejack and Pinkie can check the Town Hall."

"No humans!" Pinkie shouted, causing us to jump a little, "Can't stand them. No, no, no."

"Uh, not ta go against your idea," Applejack said warily as she stared at Pinkie, "But wouldn't two ponies walkin' without a human raise some questions?"

"Just tell them I ordered you to pick up some supplies," I thought up. It was a logical conclusion, and hopefully no one would think better of it.

"Nolan," Applejack scolded, "ya know I can't lie."

"God damn it," I cursed under my breath, Applejack was right. I saw first hand how bad she was at telling a fib, and there was no way she would be able to get by easily. Plus, the people here might recognize her if she was not under some kind of supervision. I had no idea if the people here knew she had helped me escape.

"Okay," I spoke up after a minute of contemplation, "Twilight and Pinkie will go to the Library, and Applejack and I can head for the Town Hall.

"What about Pinkie's… behavior?" Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the pony. She was right; we were lucky that Pinkie had not attacked another person yet. Still, I was growing impatient with their contradictions to my plan. They should be glad I was able to _come up_ with a plan.

"Just… use your magic," I said rubbing my forehead. Giving a nod, Twilight explained our plan to Pinkie and they both headed off. As I watched them trot off, I was worried that they would be caught. I wasn't sure if it was because I actually cared for them, or because they would rat me out and get _me _killed.

Nudging me, Applejack brought me back to reality and we set off for the Town Hall. Walking through the town with the knowledge I had, I felt conflicted on how I saw the ponies. They had only wanted to live their lives in happiness, but then they were forced to obey a species that they had not even known existed. Now that I thought about it, how did these ponies not know that there was a species living right next to them? Surely they would have found them by then. I wondered if Celestia had anything to do with it; leaders always had their secrets, especially those that were 'good'.

"Uh… Nolan," Applejack asked nervously, and I looked to her with a raised brow. "This may not be the best time, but…"

"We have a bit of time," I reassured, "What is it?"

"...Do ya have a family?" she inquired, looking both sad and curious. Wow, she knew when to pick the best time to ask something like that. Then again, I did say there was time.

Grimacing slightly, I gave a small nod, "Not exactly a family anymore."

"What happened?" Applejack inquired tenderly. How strange that she would suddenly take an interest in my family. It was probably something deeper than just being curious, but I would find out why later.

Grinding my teeth, I tried to figure out where to start. "I had my mom and dad, of course," I said, scratching my head. "No siblings… lived a normal life…"

I had an idea why I was having a hard time talking about it, but I wouldn't admit it to myself. Applejack simply stared at me, yearning me to go on. "My dad was deployed in the military when I was seventeen, and… my mom died of a heart attack when I was nineteen…"

"Did your dad come back after that?" Applejack asked, and I could tell she was feeling sorry for me. I didn't like it when people did that. I already knew that my past was saddening, and I didn't need people feeling apologetic about events that they never knew about.

"Yeah," I spat, kicking a rock on the ground, "Then took off again without a second thought about me. He barely even talked to me. I hope I never see him again."

Applejack winced from my tone, "Don't ya think that's a bit harsh?

"Harsh is leaving your family and never coming back," I shot back, keeping my gaze to the ground. Just thinking of that man made me tense up in anger, which is usually why I avoid thinking of him. Taking a deep breath, I calmed down and faced Applejack, who seemed lost in thought. Whether it was from my family or something else, I didn't know.

"What about you?" I asked, veering the conversation off myself. "Have any relatives?"

Applejack visibly sagged at the mention of her own family, and I regretted asking about something that she was sore about. "It's sorta complicated," she admitted with a mournful chuckle.

"Then it can wait. We're here."

"Huh?" Applejack said, glancing around. We had made it to the Town Hall, and the stroll had taken more time than I thought would be necessary, even with Applejack's knowledge of the town. However, that wasn't the biggest worry, as the building held another obstacle.

The Town Hall was locked down.

There were troops all over it, patroling around the building in twos and more at each window. When I looked over to where I had burst through the window on the second floor, A plank of wood was boarded up to cover it.

"Whoa, Nelly," Applejack said in surprise, "Ya really caused a ruckus here."

"Well, when the only way to find out where you were was by stealing something from the Mayor…" I said, rolling my eyes. Applejack bowed her head slightly in thought, and I couldn't tell what she was feeling. Guilt? Anger? Sadness?

"What do we do now?" Applejack asked, looking up to me with a blank expression. Or she could just be thinking of our next move.

I shook my head as I reexamined the Town Hall. There was no way we would be able to get in there without being questioned, and I doubt it was open to the public anyway. "Let's get to the Library," I suggested, "Twilight and Pinkie should be there by now."

"Alright," she agreed, and we turned around and walked away, heading for our next destination.

I knew we had a few minutes before we would meet back up with Twilight and Pinkie, but I was reluctant to restart the conversation again. Would Applejack even want to bring it up again? Although, she was the one who started the discussion about family. Looking anywhere but at Applejack, I inquired, "So… what about your family?"

Applejack did not do anything to acknowledge that I had spoken. Thinking she was just ignoring me so I wouldn't pester her, I shook my head slightly and continued in silence. In my peripheral vision, I suddenly saw something gray fly by. Looking over, I saw only the empty air. I swore I saw something gray. Maybe even a bit of yellow, but that may be pushing it. Catching up with Applejack, who had moved up a bit while I had stopped, I made sure to watch my back for the time being.

In this world, there's no such thing as seeing imaginary things.

The Library was a lot closer than the Town Hall, and it came into view quite fast. I also noticed a strange raised platform of some sort just across from it. There were only a few people looking it over, and I thought little of it as I neared the Library. As I approached the door, I caught a glimpse of the name of the building before opening the door.

_Golden Oak Library_.

As I entered, the first thing that I noticed was the aroma of steel and gunpowder. I was familiar with the smell, but I thought I would smell wood or must. Then my eyes registered what the room actually contained: firearms. There were only rifles, revolvers, and double-barreled shotguns, but those three quantities took up the entire room, hanging on wooden racks on display. Twilight was seated in the center of the room, staring at the weapons with a dumbfounded expression, and Pinkie was off to the side, arguing with herself in hushed whispers.

"The… the library," Twilight muttered taking deep breaths, as if going into hyperventilation. "It's… it's a-"

"An armory," I finished, taking a sweep of the area.

"What happened to all the books?!" she nearly shouted hysterically, not surprised that I had suddenly appeared, "There were hundreds and hundreds of books!"

"Keep it down!" I exclaimed quietly, waving my hand around, "We don't need someone coming in here and finding us."

"But the books!" Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the guns while facing me with anxiety. She wasn't taking this well at all.

"We have more important things to worry about," I explained, crossing my arms in thought. "Like where to find out where your other friends are."

"What was wrong with the Town Hall?" Twilight inquired, her tone uneasy.

"The humans here have it locked up tighter than the palace vaults," Applejack answered, stepping forward. "There's no way we could get through 'em."

"So now what?" Twilight asked. I had asked myself that question a lot lately. There was really nothing we could do. We had no idea where the other three 'Elements of Harmony' could be. Even if we did, we would probably have to go through a bunch of people to get to them, and I could only do so much.

"End their lives!" Psycho Pinkie shouted, gaining our attention. I had decided to name the violent version of Pinkie to make it easier on my brain.

"No!" Pinkie cried, "I don't want to kill anyone! Stop it!"

"Do it!" Psycho Pinkie said angrily.

"I don't wanna, I don't wanna!" Pinkie whined, grasping her head with her hooves. I could see tears falling already; another breakdown.

Twilight sighed and walked over to Pinkie to help comfort her. I would hate to admit it to Applejack and Twilight, but Pinkie was becoming more of a burden than anything. She constantly went into hysterics, she didn't contribute to the situation, and she may get us in trouble. However, there was nothing I could really do about it, since there was nowhere to send Pinkie. Dropping the subject from my mind, I focused on what our next objective would be.

As I was thinking, I idly walked to a nearby shotgun, examining the weapon. It was an ordinary design, and I snapped it open to see two shells inside. My curiosity piqued, I grabbed the shell and looked it over. I could recognize the ammo anywhere: 12-gauge. It wouldn't work on my shotgun, which only used 20-gauge. I guess I would have to _really_ conserve my shotgun use. I could only carry my riot shotgun, so I couldn't carry around another long-barreled weapon without discarding it first. Deciding to wait until my shotgun ran out of ammunition, I placed the double-barrel shotgun back where I found it before speaking to the group.

"Okay, listen," I called out, and everyone turned to me, even Pinkie, "Let's get out of town while we still have the chance. Then we can come up with something else."

"Why don't we ask Derpy?" Pinkie asked pointing at the window behind us while wiping her nose. Eyes wide, I whipped around towards the window, my body tense, but there was nothing there.

"Derpy?" Twilight repeated in disbelief, "Pinkie, there's no one there."

"She's right there!" Pinkie said, emphasising her point. I was still staring at the spot she was referring to, but there was still nothing. "D-Don't you see her?"

"Sorry, Pinkie," Applejack apologized, "But we don't see anypony."

Pinkie looked down with sorrow, shaking slightly, "But… but she's…"

I would have disregarded Pinkie's claim that there was someone there, but my earlier sight of something gray graced my mind. Could it be the same person? Were we being followed? "Who's this… Derpy?" I inquired, an eyebrow raised as I stared at the window.

"She used to be the mailmare here in town," Twilight explained, "She had cross eyes and was pretty clumsy."

After saying that last part, Twilight rubbed her head with a shiver, as if recalling a past event. "When was the last time you saw her?" I asked the group as a whole, though I knew Pinkie probably would be no help.

"I think she was deliverin' a package out a' town," Applejack replied, playing with her hat in thought. "She could be anywhere."

"Would there be a chance that she returned?" I followed up, furrowing my brow.

Twilight gave me strange look, "You can't possibly believe that Pinkie saw her. Eh, no offense, Pinkie."

"None taken," Pinkie sneered bitterly.

Shaking off her comment, I said, "I'm not implying that she really saw her. But I just have a feeling that we're being watched."

"Do ya think someone recognized ya?" Applejack inquired, turning to the window.

I shrugged, "I don't think so. But my attire isn't exactly normal here. Maybe someone is just wondering about it."

"I doubt someone would hide and follow us just to find out where you got your clothing," Twilight pointed out.

"If that's the case," I summed up, "Then we should proceed with caution. Let's just get out of town quickly."

As Applejack and Twilight gave nods of confirmation, I looked over to Pinkie, who was peering out the window where 'Derpy' had supposedly been.

"Hey, what's going on outside?" Pinkie asked, squinting her eyes.

I was about to look to see what she was talking about when a loud bang rung out. Pinkie gasped, covering her mouth in horror as she scooted away from the window.

"Death," I could hear her mutter, "Death is upon us, the reaper is smiling now."

Though her comment concerned me, there was already something to worry about. That noise was a gun. No doubt about it.

"Get down!" I whispered frantically, throwing myself to the floor. I didn't know if the shot was intended for us, but I wasn't taking any chances. The other three ponies dropped down as well with fearful expressions. A few seconds dragged out, but nobody shot another round or called out to us. Crawling quietly to the nearest window, I peeked outside to see what was going on, drawing my revolver simultaneously.

The platform that I had dismissed earlier was now buzzing with activity. Humans and ponies stood before the platform with expectation, as two humans and two ponies stood next to another pony, who was lying down on the platform. My eyes widened at the one person in particular. Grayson. Though I knew he was alive, I wished it wasn't true, yet there he was, using a wooden cane to get around and handling a piece of paper, apparently reading from it.

On the platform with him was someone I didn't recognize. He had black, shoulder length hair, wielding a revolver in one hand. When I gazed at the ponies that were with them, I realized that they were chained together in a row, and that the ponies were shockingly familiar.

Carrot Top. Goldengrape. And… a dead Rose. My breath hitched as I stared at her still form, a single bullet hole through her head. What the fuck!? When did these ponies get captured? Why were they being executed? My fist was unconsciously tightening against the window sill, and I gazed over to Grayson who was speaking to the group that spectated the scene before them. I couldn't hear a word he said, his voice muffled from the barrier between us.

"Nolan," Twilight whispered from the other end of the room, "What's going on out there?"

"They're..." I hesitated. I didn't know how Twilight would react, as she had a tendency to go overboard. Still, she had a right to know, and there was no point lying, "executing ponies."

"What!?" she responded in a hoarse tone. I wouldn't be surprised if her heart stopped. "B-But why? They didn't do anything wrong!"

I reflected on how these ponies had helped me, or had been at the scene of the crime. My heart dropped; it was _my_ fault. I was the reason why there were being killed in public. My own selfishness was causing their deaths. "W-Who's being executed?" Applejack inquired, beads of sweat dripping from her face.

I gave a small sigh, and replied, "Carrot Top, Rose, and Goldengrape."

"The other ponies at my farm?!" Applejack jerked back, her jaw hanging open.

"Yeah," I said, feeling distant from all that was happening. "And it's all my fault."

"Darn tootin it's your fault!" Applejack seethed, walking over to me. "If we just left ya alone, they wouldn't be in this mess!"

"You think I don't know that!" I snapped back, pointing a finger at her. "You think I wanted this to happen!? I just want to get home!"

Applejack didn't back down, nor did I expect her to. She narrowed her eyes more as I turned away from her as another shot reverberated in our minds. All of us instinctively jumped slightly, caught off guard from the sudden sound. I looked over at the platform again, seeing Goldengrape fall down, his eyes wide open in shock. He was dead.

"Shit!" I cursed, standing full height, grinding my teeth "I'm not just going to stand here and let them all die like criminals."

"Do you have a plan?" Twilight asked weakly, still uneasy that the ponies would be killed in such a way. I faced the outside again, taking note of everything. The humans who were watching the spectacle had their eyes glued to it. The ponies, on the other hand, were cringing and facing away in sympathy of the ponies on stage. My guilt grew as my gaze passed over the deceased Goldengrape; I had to avenge him, along with Rose.

"Twilight," I said sternly, extending my hand towards her while staring outside, "give me my mask."

Without pause, Twilight used her magic to levitate my head gear out of her saddlebag and towards my outstretched arm. I snatched it from the air and hastily put it on, feeling the seconds tick by. Carrot Top was next and there was no way in hell that I was allowing her to die. After I finished, I briskly made for the door, my revolver still tight in my hand.

"What about your plan?" Twilight called to me as I opened the door. I halted at the door frame, considering her words for a moment.

"Don't have one," I said, continuing my walk as the ponies stayed inside the Library. When I had neared the gathering, I could finally hear what Grayson was going on about.

"...assisting a fugitive. Do you deny this?" he asked Carrot Top, over his sheet of paper.

Even from this distance, I could tell she was shivering, her bruises, though faded, were still present on her sides. "I-I didn't help him th-though!" she stuttered as loudly as she could, which wasn't much. "He j-just saved me!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Grayson brushed off, "Now, does anyone want to purchase this pony?"

Carrot Top dipped her head, facing the ground, probably to not get even more distressed from the lack of raised hands. That's when an idea struck me: I could purchase her. "Going once," Grayson shouted, the other man on stage, who I assume was the executioner, leveled his gun with Carrot Top's head. Would my plan work? I didn't even have any money!

"Going twice," Grayson said, the executioner's finger twitching. God damnit, it can't work!

"I'll buy her!" I screamed. Confused, the crowd looked at each other to see if someone would actually purchase the pony. Carrot Top blinked in disbelief, looking around to see who had said that. With the distraction, I aimed my revolver at the executioner just as Grayson laid eyes on me. I couldn't help but give a smug smile at his expression. It felt good to take him by surprise.

"Didn't see that one coming, didja?" I whispered, as I gave a mock salute, then gripped my gun and fired at the executioner. The loud bang and the man falling dead made the group panic, looking around frantically for the shooter. I had already taken off, heading for the Library where Twilight and the others were at. I hoped that Carrot Top would be able to escape from there.

"It's the Masked Man!" I heard Grayson shout behind me, "Get him! I'll raise the bounty on him by three hundred bits! Just kill him!"

Wow, talk about desperate. Nevertheless, I quickened my pace, as I heard cries of anger and vengeance. I crashed through the Library door, and slammed it shut behind me. As the sense of Déjà vu rushed through my mind, I locked the door and slid to the window to a crouched position.

"What the _hay_, Nolan?!" Applejack shirked at me, who was laying low to the floor with the other two as the first bullets began to fly. "That was your plan?!"

"Don't like it, come up with your own," I shot back, shooting through the window at an approaching man, sending glass shards everywhere.

"Well now what do we do!?" Twilight jumped in with a worried expression next to Applejack. Pinkie was beside Twilight, looking just as frightened.

"Look for another exit," I ordered, taking another shot out the window. "I can hold them off for awhile."

Twilight looked around, like the alternative exit would be in plain sight. I focused back on the fire fight, putting more bullets in more approaching men. They were getting smart, as they aimed for the window while taking cover, forcing me to duck my head as the bullets impacted my position. As I brought myself out of cover to take more shots, I saw someone with a rifle aim straight at me. I ducked just in time, the bullet nicking my helmet.

I had forgotten that they had weapons besides revolvers. I would have to change my strategy. Then I gazed over the room before me, Twilight and the others had gone to find the other exit, and I grew a maniacal grin at the amount of weapons. Crouching low, I went over to the racks of rifles and gathered as much as I could carry. I made my way back to the windows, placing a few at each one, carefully avoiding being seen from outside.

When that was finished, I quickly got the shotguns and looked around for a place to put them. Though there was no cover in the room, a doorway leading to a kitchen was perfect. This idea of mine had better work. That's when the guns stopped, and I heard muffled voices from outside. They must have thought I had been killed, or were just waiting for me to make a move. Using the lull in gunfire to my advantage, I came back to the window, grabbing one of the rifles I had rested next to it.

I checked outside, seeing a few of them arguing. The shattered window allowed me to hear what they were saying. "Is he dead?" someone asked.

"You, check it out."

"Why me?! Why the hell don't you look?"

"Because I outrank you."

"Crap, alright."

Gripping the rifle in my hands, I quickly aimed outside to the approaching troop and took the shot. The recoil was more than I was used to, causing me to give a small wince, but the bullet hit its mark. The others scrambled back for the cover that they had left, and I had trouble loading another bullet into the chamber. How did anyone manage these clunky bolt-action rifles? Even with my inefficient loading, I was able to take out one more before they were behind a barrier once again.

As they were shooting at my cover again, I tossed the rifle to the floor and shuffled to the other window, grabbing the rifle that rested there. Because the enemies were focused on where I once was, I was able to take aim without worrying about getting hit. Still, I didn't waste time as I pointed my rifle at someone behind a nearby building and fired.

The people around him flinched as his body fell, and as quickly as I could, I loaded another bullet and shot again. They moved their attention to my position and I backed away as the bullets practically ripped it to shreds. When their firing stopped, I edged for the other window. However, I found the reason why they had ceased fire. Someone had rammed into the door: they were already too close.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, tossing the rifle and hastily making for the doorway holding the shotguns. A bang from behind the door informed me that they had shot the lock. I equipped myself with a shotgun, and stood beside the doorway, awaiting their arrival. They kicked down the door and I instantly jumped out shooting at the first two to come running in with both shells.

God, the kick was worse than the rifles!

I dropped the shotgun and grabbed another just as more were running into the slaughter. As they fell, I could see some others take positions at the windows and the entrance. Instincts kicking in, I shot at each man at the window and discarded the shotgun as well.

Just as I reached for another shotgun, I heard Applejack's voice over the gunfire. "Nolan!" she yelled, "Twi' found an- gah!"

The sudden yelp of pain filled me with fear. What had happened? I peeked around my cover and saw Applejack laying on the ground clutching her left forehoof with her right, as it was bleeding. I also noticed two men running for her. I dispatched them quickly with my shotgun as I ran out of cover, heading for her. I slid beside her as she was shivering from the suppressed cries of pain. I gave the injury a look over and found out that the bullet had passed right through it.

"Can you walk?" I asked, taking out my revolver as I kept an eye on the entrance.

She put pressure on her hoof and almost fell back down. However she pushed through the pain and gave me a nod. I had to commemorate her for her stubbornness against pain, but I hoped she wouldn't push herself too much; I knew what it was like to get shot in the leg. Patting her on the shoulder, I jumped up and gave suppressing fire as we both crept back into the door she had came through.

When we were completely through, I slammed it shut, noting with a groan that there was no lock for this door. We had better hurry. Turning to face where we entered, I saw that it was a large basement, with the stairs open to the two story room. The place had strange technology that I wouldn't associate with a place like Ponyville, with electronics and such.

My brain was trying to comprehend how technology was present in a world where it shouldn't be, but the gunfire had halted once again, and I snapped out of my revery. I hurried down the stairs behind a struggling Applejack, picking her up half way down.

"Put me down!" she yelped, as she kicked, but it sounded hollow; that leg must have hurt more than she was letting on.

"No time," I mumbled, practically flying down the stairs. I saw Twilight and Pinkie standing beside some sort of hole in the ground, near the wall, looking uneasy. When I ran over to them and they saw Applejack bleeding, their eyes widened in shock.

"A-Applejack!" Twilight cried out stepping over to us.

"She's fine!" I shouted, placing Applejack on her back rather harshly. "Get going! Now!"

The door upstairs burst open, men already infiltrating the basement. I began firing on them, keeping them at bay until the ponies had made it through. When they were all inside, I inched towards it until I was at the brim of the hole, still firing until my revolver clicked empty. When it did, I jumped inside.

It was pitch black, forcing me to squint to see anything through my tinted goggles, but that didn't work either. When I hit the bottom, I toppled over from the unexpected landing, but I pushed myself back up quickly. I had jumped into a dark tunnel, with absolutely no light to see anything at all. It caused me to panic slightly, but Twilight's horn lit up, casting a lavender light on the walls.

"Keep going!" I shouted, pointing to the dark abyss of the rest of the tunnel. "We're not out of the fire yet."

The two galloped through it, with me right behind. I kept glancing behind me to see if anyone had followed us through, but the darkness canceled any hope of sight. That didn't stop the sound however.

"They went through here!" someone shouted, echoing through the tunnel. "Someone get me a torch!"

I was racking my brain, trying to come up with some way to get them off our tail, but the tunnel was extremely linear; it literally went in a straight line. I gazed around at the tunnel walls until an idea hit me in the head.

"Twilight," I called out, causing her to look over to me. I could see she was having trouble, what with holding Applejack and using her horn for light, but this had to be done. "Can you collapse the tunnel behind us?!"

"Are you _crazy_!?" she scolded me, her fear showing plainly on her face. "It could cause a chain reaction and bring the whole place down on top of us!"

I looked behind me again, and was able to see someone throw down a torch, illuminating the surrounding area. "It's either that," I said, keeping my eyes on the entrance, "or get shot in the ass!"

"Okay, okay! I see your point!" Twilight agreed. She skidded to a halt, and turned to face where we had come from. A human had just jumped down, already getting used to his surroundings. Her horn was growing very bright, and I saw a chance to help her a bit by taking Applejack off her back. When I did, I could easily see Twilight relax slightly and concentrate on her spell.

Time seemed to move at a crawl, the spell feeling as if it would take ages to complete as more men were following the first. Hearing mumbling beside me, I looked down to see Pinkie going into her ramblings. Yet strangely enough, one line of it made sense.

"Forgive your enemies... but never forget their names," she quoted quietly, staring ahead. Wait, wasn't that a quote from-

A huge explosion and sudden flash caught me off guard, making me stumble back from the sheer force of the discharged energy. After that, the rumbling I could feel in the earth caused me to shiver; my plan was working. I saw Twilight breathing heavily, watching rocks and boulders fall and block the path. The only problem was that they were still falling, and would eventually crush us. "You went a little overboard, Twilight," I announced, backing away. "Let's get going before the ceiling comes down on our heads."

"I… did it," she breathed, but was difficult to hear over the shaking and rumbling. "I… completed the spell."

Was the spell more complicated than I thought? Even so, she could reflect on it when we were out of danger. "Twilight!" I shouted, finally knocking her back to reality as she gawked at the collapsing tunnel. "I don't want a dead princess on my hands! Run!"

She followed my orders without hesitation, spinning in a circle and running like I'd never seen her before. I was already up ahead, right behind Pinkie Pie, with my lungs burning from the exertion. However, no matter how hard we ran, the crumbling tunnel was growing closer to us.

"Shit, we're not going to make it!" I yelled, gritting my teeth. Fortunately, the cave-in stopped abruptly, as if the tunnel saw our plight and fixed it. Breathing heavily, I slowed to a stop and tenderly laid Applejack on the ground as Twilight joined my side, appreciating the break.

After a minute or two of just resting, I looked over the ponies and assessed them. Pinkie seemed absolutely fine, not tired from the sprint. Applejack, though unwinded, was still in pain from her leg injury. And finally, Twilight was exhausted and from what I could make out from the spell, I couldn't blame her.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked, making absolutely sure there wasn't some bullet wound that someone may be hiding.

"Fine," Applejack answered promptly, "I'm… fine."

"Can you walk?" I questioned, crossing my arms while looking agitated.

"No-"

"Then you're not fine," I shot down, feeling annoyed. She really was stubborn, and I'm sure if I didn't interrupt her, she would go into a huge explanation on why she was alright. Twilight sat on her haunches, still looking in disbelief. No doubt about the spell she had performed.

"What's so special about that magic spell?" I asked in exasperation, she was making a big deal about it.

Twilight gave a heavy sigh, closing her eyes as she faced the ground. "It was the last spell Princess Celestia taught me," she revealed with a sad tone. "I couldn't master it, and this was the first time I was able to use it."

I gave her a sympathetic look, "She was important to you, huh?"

She gave a nod, but then quickly shook her head and faced me with a forced smile. "She wouldn't want me to mope around," she said, trying to dissolve the sorrowful feeling. "We should keep going."

I wanted to say that we had time, but I couldn't be sure if that statement would be true or not. Instead I faced the rest of the tunnel and saw that it ran on for another hundred meters. "Where does this go anyway?" I inquired; it wasn't exactly normal for a tunnel like this to be here.

"It goes to Fluttershy's cottage," Twilight informed me, stepping past me with her horn glowing. "Princess Celestia wanted Fluttershy to make it to our usual gathering place, my Library, without any distractions."

That seemed like it would waste more time than gain, but this Princess was the expert. Besides, this 'Fluttershy' - who I recall being one of the Elements of Harmony - must have been important to have some sort of tunnel built in her basement. Shrugging off my thoughts, I carefully lifted Applejack up and looked over to Pinkie, who was rocking back and forth.

"Pinkie," I exclaimed, and she instantly looked at me with unblinking eyes… Freakin' blink already! "Uh, can you make yourself useful and carry Applejack for awhile?" I asked, tilting my head towards Applejack for emphasis. Applejack groaned quietly, probably feeling useless because of her lack of mobility.

"No!" Psycho Pinkie screamed, "That lazy pony can walk herself."

"But she's hurt," Pinkie reasoned, "and she helped us before."

"Not in that asylum!" Psycho Pinkie retorted, "I'm not letting that pony on our back."

"But she's our friend!" Pinkie cried, breathing heavily. Psyco Pinkie didn't say anything, causing Pinkie to look at me expectantly. I gave a curt nod of understanding and placed Applejack on her back. Twilight levitated some bandages out of her saddlebag and over to Applejack's foreleg, which was still bleeding.

"Hold still, please," Twilight requested, tightly wrapping the wound. Applejack winced when Twilight tightened it, but didn't move as she was told.

"Don't worry, Applejack," I assured, "Once the pain is gone, you should be able to walk by yourself."

Applejack sighed, "Just dandy."

{~+~}

The end of the tunnel was just a simple wooden door, and was no challenge to get through. Not that I was complaining; I was expecting to have to blast it open again, based on my luck. When I turned the knob and entered, my hand hovering over my holstered revolver, I saw that it was another basement. This one, however, was way less advanced than Twilight's.

Twigs and crumbs littered the floor, and the dull scent of manure hung in the air. The lighting was slightly better than the tunnel, but was still difficult to see. The basement was empty, yet unnerving. Like it once held a purpose that was no longer significant.

Pinkie and Twilight slipped past me, heading over to the stairs that lead to the surface. I followed behind, and the four of us entered the room above. It was all wood, making me believe that this household was carved into a tree as well. Bird houses were hung on the ceiling, and mouse holes were placed in certain areas in the walls. Seeing that this room was bare pointed to the thought that this building was abandoned.

"Applejack?" Twilight asked, eyeing the room with an uneasy face. "Do you know if the humans had found the tunnel before?"

"Can't say, Twi'," Applejack shrugged from her position on Pinkie, who glanced back at her as she spoke. "I wasn't 'loud off the farm."

"Probably best we keep moving," I suggested walking over to a window with dank and torn curtains. "I don't want to get in another fire fight."

"I thought you did pretty good out there," Pinkie complimented with a frown, "Can't you… keep it up?"

I scoffed, scanning the exterior of the house, "I only have so much ammunition, and as I said before, it's all luck. I'm surprised I didn't take a hit back there."

Silence reigned over us, forcing me to speak up to avoid the awkwardness that usually followed it. "You said this was... Fluttershy's house, right?" I asked, having to recall the pony's name.

"Yes, right next to the Everfree Forest," Twilight explained, nodding slightly.

"Perfect," I said, noting positively that the area was empty, "We can go into the forest and use it for cover to-"

"Enter the forest!?" all three ponies shouted, nearly making me jump from their outburst. These ponies can be really loud.

"The forest is evil!" Twilight exclaimed nervously, "There are all sorts of monsters in there!"

"Well, think of it like this," I said turning towards them, "Either the monsters in the forest, or the humans in Ponyville."

"Ya seriously have no idea what's in that there forest," Applejack said with a worried expression.

I thought about her words carefully. It was true, of course, that I have never stepped foot in the forest. Add to the fact that I have no idea what monsters were in Equestria, and I had a recipe for disaster. There was just one thing I wanted to confirm.

"Have the humans ever gone inside that forest?" I inquired, causing Applejack to grimace.

"I overheard Jordan talk about some humans who went in ta explore the forest," she gulped, sweat dripping from her face. "From what I could learn, they heard guns and screams. And they were never seen again."

I grunted, crossing my arms, "You make it sound like a campfire story."

"It's the truth," Applejack finished with narrowed eyes.

"I know it is," I said, pausing for a few seconds so those words could sink in. "Anyway, we can worry about the forest later. While we still have the time, let's figure out what to do next."

The ponies faced away from me, but it didn't take a genius to know why. They had no clue, same as me. Ponyville was probably on high alert at this point, searching the town for us, or me specifically. Not only that, but there may come a point where they would investigate this house. And if we couldn't think up something quickly, we would be screwed.

"Derpy!" Pinkie cried out suddenly, throwing Applejack to the floor as she streaked for the door, crashing through it.

"Pinkie, there's no Derpy!" Twilight shouted, as she and I ran after her. When we left the house and into the crisp outdoors, We found a bit of a surprise, more for Twilight than me. A gray pegasus pony, with three bubbles as a cutie mark and a blond tail and mane, was standing there in shock. What surprised me was her eyes; one was looking at us, while the other was looking up.

She was cross eyed.

"Princess Twilight!" Derpy said in alarm, bowing low, "I was really worried when the humans came after you."

Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a small smile, obviously uncomfortable with being addressed and treated like royalty. "Uh, thanks, Derpy," Twilight thanked, "but I told you that you don't have to call me that, or bow."

Derpy giggled as she rose, "I know, but it's fun. And I'm so glad that I found you!"

"So you're the pony that's been following us?" I accused, causing Twilight to glare at me. Derpy blinked and turned to me, as if just registering that I was standing right by Twilight.

"I didn't know if you were their master," she retorted, scrunching up her nose rather adorably. But then she relaxed, "but when you saved Carrot Top, I knew you must have been the human that the town was talking about."

At the mention of Carrot Top, I leaned forward with a tad of distress, "Did she get away? Did Carrot Top escape?"

Derpy tilted her head at how concerned I was. In truth, I felt responsible for putting her in that situation, and if she didn't escape death, than I was more a failure than I had previously thought. Thankfully, Derpy smiled, and faced behind herself, exclaiming, "Carrot Top, c'mere!"

I heard hoof steps as a pony approached from the path that probably led into town. Soon enough, Carrot Top came into view, backing towards us while keeping a watchful eye.

"What is it, Derpy?" She inquired with no hint of annoyance, "I was watching the path, but nopony has-"

She turned to us, stopping mid sentence as she looked to see Twilight and I standing there. The next thing I know, she was running at me in full gallop, eyes closed tight, and hugging my waist tightly. "Thank you!" she cried out, "Thank you, thank you so much! I thought I was dead, with Goldengrape, and-and Rose…"

"Well, I couldn't just let them kill you," I explained, not sure what to do with my hands. I should have hug her back, but it was just strange to be truly liked in this land that I was completely stunned. My statement made Carrot Top hug me even tighter looking up at me with strained eyes.

"That's what you said last time…" she reminded, "When I almost died…"

The guilt began to grow as I was forced to remember how she was almost killed both times. "It's all my fault that those people nearly killed you," I said sadly, my arms resting limply. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been in danger."

"But you made it up by saving me," she replied courteously, finally letting go of me and backing off to give me room, "You're the first person to stand up for me in my entire life."

"Even before the invasion?" I asked in bewilderment.

She nodded and continued, "I was pretty lonely back then, and didn't have many friends, and when the humans arrived in Ponyville, I thought I would live like that for the rest of my life."

She looked up at me hopefully, "But then you came, and changed that."

"I couldn't save Rose or Goldengrape or anyone else before hand," I said quietly, "So don't call me a hero, because I'm not one."

Carrot Top opened her mouth to argue, but something struck Derpy suddenly. Something very pink. "I knew it was Derpy!" Pinkie shouted out happily, snuggling the surprised pony. "I just knew it!"

Why didn't see say hello earlier? Why did she wait until now to tackle Derpy? I suppose it didn't matter too much, but Pinkie sure was random.

Derpy gave an embarrassed chuckle, "Sorry for hiding, Pinkie. But I wasn't sure if this human would hurt you if he saw me."

"Glad ta see you're alive at least," Applejack smiled, limping over to us.

"Likewise," Derpy responded cheerfully. "Now I can take you to Rainbow Dash at Los Pegasus."

To say we were shocked by that was an understatement. Our eyes went wide and jaws dropped open. "R-Rainbow Dash?" Twilight repeated.

"Los Pegasus!?" I repeated, shaking my head. I must have heard wrong; there was no way that there was a place that would be a copy of Los Vegas.

Derpy simply grinned, "Yeah. Rainbow Dash is leading the resistance movement."

Applejack and Twilight faced each other with a smile, glad to have learned of another friend's whereabouts. Pinkie, on the other hand, was acting nervous. "Rainbow Dash!?" she shrieked, making Derpy take a few steps back in fear. "I can't see her! What will she think of me!? I can't see her!"

"Why not?" Derpy inquired, and Pinkie stomped a hoof down in aggravation.

"I have my reasons!" she shouted, forcing Derpy to look at her funny.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I said, waving my arms and walking in between everybody to get their attention. "Back up a bit. Did you say Los Pegasus?"

Derpy was really looking confused now. "Yeah," she answered slowly, "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" I repeated, ripping my mask off while looking at her incredulously. "There's a city here that is one big pun of a city where I'm from!"

"And that's in the north… right?" Carrot Top asked, the last word coming out meekly. I would have shouted at them for being so oblivious, but I had to remind myself that they still believed I was just another human here.

"I've told Applejack and Twilight," I sighed, gesturing to them while cooling down. "I'm from another world. It's the only reason why I'm helping them find their friends. To get home."

"Is… that really the only reason?" Derpy asked, looking dejected.

I couldn't meet her eyes - or the only eye facing me - and looked off to the side, regretting bringing it up. "Yeah," I said, having to force myself to say the single word. "It is."

"Well that's just…" Derpy started, hovering in front of my face while thinking of the right word to use. "...mean!"

"And the other humans here aren't?" I snapped back, furrowing my brow.

"You have no idea what they took from us!" Derpy shouted in my face, her eyes quivering. "They took my daughter."

Though I was mildly taken aback by that, I didn't show it, though my insides tightened in empathy. Derpy landed back on the ground her eyes shut tight, no doubt to stop the tears before they even began. Carrot Top looked between myself and Derpy, her jaw slack like she had something to say but wasn't sure if it should be said.

"Th-that can't be right!" she cried out, looking up at me, as I raised a brow. "If you're just helping them, then why did you save me?"

"I may have my own reasons for helping Twilight and Applejack," I clarified, feeling like the group had suddenly turned on me. "But I'm not heartless. I'll help someone if they need help. I was a cop before I came here; it was my duty."

Everyone was silent, not sure how to respond to my statement. Looking over the group, I could tell that it was growing pretty big. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Derpy, and Carrot Top. Then there's me; the odd ball out. Who knew that we would gather this many ponies together. Turning around to face the very dark forest, I spoke up, "Let's get going before the people in town come here."

"Right," Derpy agreed solemnly, probably still sad about her daughter. "Los Pegasus is pretty far away. About a three day journey if we don't get side tracked."

She pointed to a direction, "It's South West of here; in that direction."

"Uh, Derpy," Twilight corrected, pointed in the opposite direction, towards the wicked forest. "South West is that way."

Derpy gave a sheepish grin, playing with the dirt, "Sorry, I'm not very good with directions."

"So we're going through the dark and potentially dangerous forest, huh?" I summed up, facing the forest with a tired expression. "Well… let's get it over with."

"There!" Someone screamed up the path, "I found them!"

Knowing it was another human, I quickly ran over to a tree for cover with the other ponies, Twilight helping Applejack as she was still limping. I put on my mask again, hoping to god that they didn't see my face. Though, even if they did, I doubt they saw enough to get a clear picture. The humans were already opening fire on our position, not leaving me room to fire back while tearing up the trees.

"We're trapped!" Carrot Top realized with a hint of panic. "Now what do we do?!"

I gave a small glance to the approaching people, seeing that there were far too many. Then I turned toward the forest. The place that was apparently cursed to hell, and may be far worse than what the attacking humans could do.

But at least it had a higher chance for survival at the moment. Hopefully. "Scatter into the forest!" I ordered, knowing that I may be sending them to their deaths.

* * *

**I hate cliffhangers as much as the next guy, but this was necessary; it would have been a lot longer.**


	6. Chapter 6: Everfree

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 6: Everfree**

As we all ran into the Everfree Forest in random directions, my mind failed to come up with a way to regroup. The forest was unexpectedly thick, and with the monsters that inhabited it, finding each other would be a miracle. Still, my wager was that the humans wouldn't follow, or even if they did, we would lose them in the confusion.

Brushing past tall ferns and vines, I was beginning to think this place was more of a jungle than a forest. And the canopy above made it feel like night had come. More than once I stubbed a toe on countless rocks and roots, cursing like crazy all the while. Nevertheless, I was growing further away from the other humans, which was what counted.

Glancing behind me, I saw no indication that I was followed and slowed to a stop, leaning against a tree as I breathed hard. At times like these, my clothing really hindered my endurance. I couldn't change it at that moment, so there was no point in griping about it. My smoking probably didn't help either. It was frustrating how much running I had to do; I just couldn't catch a break.

Shaking it off, I looked around the area, pushing off of the tree. How would I find those ponies? I felt hopelessness set in, and pessimism wasn't far behind. I would never find them. There was no chance. As this was going on, panic began to build as well, as I couldn't remember which way would lead me out of this forest. I considered calling out to them, but was worried I'd attract something I would never want to meet.

Approaching footsteps made me freeze, making sure I wasn't hearing things. It was coming behind me, and when I turned around I was suddenly tackled to the ground. From the strength and grasp this person had, it was definitely human. I landed with a grunt, wrestling with the man on top of me. I knew I could easily dispatch him with my knife, but I found it difficult to reach it.

Instead of getting my knife, I put my legs on the man's stomach and kicked him off. As soon as he was off me, I jumped to my feet, unholstering my revolver. The man did the same, and we were at a stalemate with each revolver pointed at each other.

The man, who had shaggy black hair and a goatee, gave a small chuckle, "Well now. I knew you were hard to kill, but I didn't think you'd make it that long in Ponyville."

"Why bring that up?" I questioned harshly. "We're not in Ponyville."

"I know," he expressed with a shrug that I found really annoying, "Just wanted to say it, Masked Man. By the way, how does it feel to kiss those ponies asses?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked angrily as we began to circle each other slowly. "I don't have sex with them, unlike you assholes."

"That's not what I meant, you damn pony-lover," he shouted back, his smile disappearing, "What's it like to follow them around like a little trooper, to grovel at their hooves like a peasant?"

"I don't follow anyone," I replied, "We just have a common goal."

"Right, and I'm Princess fucking Celestia," the man shot back with an eye roll, "Did you forget what those ponies did to us!?"

At that, my curiosity took control, "Let's say I did. What did they do?"

"In a few seconds, it won't matter," the man laughed, his grin returning, "Since you'll be dead on the ground."

We both stopped at that moment, the wind suddenly becoming louder than usual as we waited for the other to make the first move. That's when I saw the green, predator eyes glowing in the darkness behind the man. My eyes widened, but since my mask was on it didn't alert the other man, who was still waiting. What emerged from the veil of darkness made me stumble slightly at the sight.

A bundle of sticks in the form of a wolf.

The wolf gave a low growl, and pounced on the unsuspecting human, biting him on the shoulder. The man screamed, taking an accidental shot from the sudden attack. I backed away slowly as the man fell forward with the wolf on top. Two more followed behind, baring their wooden teeth. Is this what the ponies were afraid of? If it was, than I can understand why they would choose not to enter the Everfree Forest.

I had never faced down an animal before, let alone a vicious, wooden wolf. So I took the logical step of running. As I sprinted away from the scene, I could hear them bark and growl as they gave chase. Ducking and weaving through the forest proved useless as the wolves weaved through the trees effortlessly. This was their territory, they knew the land and everything that inhabited it, and I would be their next meal.

I wasn't going down without a fight, as I drew my revolver out and whipped behind me. I saw two wolves closing in on me, and I quickly took aim and fired at the closest one.

It clicked empty. I hadn't reloaded my weapon at all, and now I was vulnerable. The closest wolf bit into my left arm, pain shooting up it as the predator tried to drag me down. With the other wolf stalking behind, I knew I had to act fast. With my right hand, I put away my revolver and unsheathed my knife, slamming it down into the wolf's skull and killing it instantly. As its grip loosened on my arm, the other wolf bit into my lower left leg. I lost my footing and tumbled onto my stomach, my knife falling out of my hand. I quickly rolled onto my back just as the wolf pounced on me. I put up my hands just in time to catch its head, its jaws trying desperately to sink into my face.

I was too busy holding the wolf off to grab anything to save me from death, and even that wasn't enough. My strength was waning, and I nearly slipped more than once. Just then, I heard a gasp from someone off to the side. Only half a second later, I saw Applejack from the corner of my eye charging straight towards me and the wolf. When she was within range, she planted her forehooves on the ground, swiveled around, and gave a bone-shattering buck to the wolf. It flew off of me and crashed into a tree, breaking into a mess of branches and twigs.

With the threat dealt with, I stood warily to my feet while retrieving my knife. My eye caught sight of the other wolf I had killed, which had the similar fate of falling apart into bits of wood. "I think we're even now," Applejack remarked snidely, wincing from the pain from her hoof.

I grunted, "From the number of times I saved you, we're far from even. But thanks."

"I expected ya to take these Timberwolves no problem," Applejack said, pointing a hoof to what was left of the enemies.

"I was sloppy," I admitted, taking my revolver out with a handful of ammunition, "Won't happen again."

As I reloaded, Applejack gave a look around, her ears perked for any sound whatsoever. That's when a 'Timberwolf' howled, followed by many other howls. The sound gave me goosebumps and sent chills down my spine. There were a lot more of them. Looking at Applejack, she seemed quite calm, baring her teeth. Compared to me, she was acting very cool and ready. She must have dealt with these wolves before.

The sound of quick foot falls and heavy panting reached my ears, coming from behind me. There were so many footsteps that I couldn't distinguish how many there were. "Applejack, we need to move," I recommended, but she didn't answer, facing the direction of the noise with a somewhat surprised expression.

"I think I heard Pinkie in there!" she exclaimed, facing me with worry. "We gotta help her!"

Glancing at the forest again, I could just make out the high voice of Pinkie, screaming in fear. Applejack was right; she always was. "Alright, but how do we find her in this-" I started before seeing Applejack rush forward.

"We ain't got time for a plan!" she shouted back, disappearing in the shrubbery.

I couldn't resist a facepalm as I yelled back, "You stupid, stubborn girl!"

I broke out into a sprint after her, but my fears were realized when I couldn't see where Applejack was. How did she expect us to help Pinkie if we couldn't see a damn thing!? The only thing I could do was follow the barks and footsteps of the wolves, hoping it would lead me to the ponies.

Minutes passed, and I had no luck at locating anybody. The sounds of the wolves were fading out, which meant I was either going in the wrong direction or I was falling behind. The forest was like a maze as there was no clearly defined way of knowing if a path would lead anywhere, or if it'd lead me off track. The tall bushes and plants didn't help at all, hindering my efforts to find the ponies.

At some point, I had grown too tired to carry on, and stopped in my tracks, resting my hands on my knees. I was very concerned now; Applejack and the others were somewhere in the forest, and I had no clue as to where they may be. With those Timberwolves and whatever god-forsaken monsters were in this forest, I could only hope that they would find a way out of this forest and regroup together.

That's when my train of thought turned in a new direction; wondering if my worries for the ponies was because I needed their help to get home, or if I really cared for them. Walking again through the forest, I knew I kind of cared for them, but I wasn't sure if it was enough to warrant an actual liking of them.

With these ponies, I was forced to work with them, to befriend them. In this world where humans dominated ponies, I was the sole person that cared about their safety, and more than just to get myself back to Earth. That thought made me feel special in a strange way, like knowing that you are unique in a world full of regular people.

Smiling slightly at the thought, I focused on the pathway I was strolling on. My brain realized I was daydreaming while those ponies were running for their lives. Giving a small insult towards myself, I jogged a bit, eyeing the area warily while listening intently. Nothing could be seen or heard, which worried me considerably.

Then, I saw a clearing up ahead, and made my way to it. When I arrived, I saw that it was a small enclosed space with the trees bordering it like brick walls. Looking up, I could see that night had fallen at some point, and the stars and moon were out. My attention turned to the small tent that was placed exactly in the middle, just sitting there. There was nothing exceptional about it; it was dull gray with no features that made it different from an average tent.

I approached it cautiously, in case it held a human within. Even if it did, I doubt he would know who I was, or what I did. The sound of movement caught my attention and I halted instantly, waiting for whoever was inside to come out. Sweat was soaking my clothing as I waited, until the flaps opened and out came…

A purple, bipedal lizard.

That was my initial interpretation, my eyes wide at the small creature. It had green crests all along its head and spine, with a green underbelly. As it clamored out of the tent, he hummed a small tune that I didn't recognize. When his head turned to me though, he froze and stared with wide eyes, like a deer in the headlights. We simply stood there, looking at each other in wonder and shock.

"Z-Zecora!" the thing shouted, zipping back into the tent as quick as a whip. I jerked my head back from the sudden noise, wondering if it was afriad of my species or just myself. Suddenly, another creature jumped out of the tent along with the first one. This time, it looked like a Zebra, with the coat, tail and mane striped black and white. What was curious was that it had pieces of gold jewelry on its neck and ears.

The zebra glared at me, standing protectively in front of the lizard that cowered behind its legs. I would have said something at this point, but the bizarrity of the scene made me pause to reconsider my actions.

"Be gone, turn away!" the zebra chanted in a strange, feminine voice. "Otherwise, I'll make you pay!"

I realized that she was angry at me like the ponies were, and I guessed that she was not on good terms with the humans either. With this, I knew I had to be careful and not upset her further.

I raised my hands in a non-threatening position, "Look, miss, I just want to find my friends and I can get out of your hair."

The zebra wasn't buying it though, as she narrowed her eyes. "False statements, is what you speak," she said, pawing the ground, "I'll have you know, I am not weak."

Did she always speak in rhyme? It wasn't really that annoying, but it was fairly interesting. Taking a deep breath, I tried to come up with something to show that I didn't want any trouble. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous at the time; the zebra didn't seem to have any weapons on her. Still, I didn't want to relenquish my own weapons; I was on the clock. I was about to take a step before the zebra shouted at me.

"Do not move until I approve!" she shouted, obviously as edgy as any of the other ponies around humans. I slowly drew back my leg and was simply standing there. I growled slightly, not to seem intimidating, but in frustration; I had to hurry.

Our eyes never broke contact, and it felt like time was slowing down, waiting for one or the other to say or do something. I knew that whatever I did would seem like an attack, but the zebra or lizard would not do a thing. What a perfect time to be a nice guy.

"Nolan!" Twilight exclaimed coming into view as she flew above the trees, "Thank goodness I found you, I-"

She saw the other two creatures that were with me as she landed, her next words dying in her throat. Now the zebra and lizard were both in disbelief, both their jaws dropping. "Zecora," Twilight said in a breathless tone, "S-Spike."

The purple lizard, who I assumed was Spike, stepped forward, his hands held together in a hopeful stance, "Twilight?"

Before I could register that Twilight knew the two, Spike ran up and wrapped his paws around Twilight's neck in a hug. Twilight was taken aback by this, but eventually put her right foreleg around him in return. The sight was heartwarming, to say the least, and I smiled a bit at the affection.

At the worst possible moment, however, another howl from the wolves reached our ears, and I gritted my teeth in anger. Those things would not leave us alone. "Shit," I mumbled, feeling ready to spring into action, "I still have to find the others."

Twilight and Spike broke apart as I looked around for someplace to go. I was still lost as ever in this forest, and the howl had echoed around, throwing the source off. Berating myself for not being able to pinpoint the source, the zebra, who must have been Zecora, spoke to Twilight.

"What others does he speak of?" she inquired, "And why did you arrive from above?"

"We don't have time to answer questions," I replied harshly, "I need to find out where that howl came from."

Zecora looked slightly upset that I had answered in the way I did, but brushed it off and thought for a second. "I believe it came from the south east direction. I shall lead you there, if you have no objection."

I didn't really have anything against her leading the way, but I was confused why she would suddenly trust me enough to lead me to the others. "Alright, let's get going," I agreed with a nod, then I faced Twilight. "Stay here, we'll be back."

It had just occurred to me that I had been giving a princess orders, but Twilight wasn't fazed by that at all. She nodded frantically, probably afraid of her friends' fate. Zecora and I took off into the dark forest, me falling behind only slightly to follow her. She galloped through like she had been through here a hundred times, dodging trees like they weren't even there while I clumsily went around them. Then, suddenly, she halted in her tracks, her hooves kicking up dirt as she forced herself to a stop. I didn't stop as abruptly, but I did nearly bump into here.

"Whoa, we're kind of in a hurry here," I snapped, but Zecora merely eyed the blue flowers that she had stopped in front of. They looked like normal flowers to me, but if this world had taught me anything, nothing in this world is 'normal' in the sense I think of.

"Those flowers are bad," she said, gesturing towards the flowers, "Avoid them, and you'll be glad."

I didn't want to argue with her, especially since she seemed to know these woods like the back of her hoof. "What does it do?" I asked, my curiosity winning over my anxiety to help my friends for the time being.

"Poison Joke with its flowers of blue," she explained, carefully shuffling beside the flowers to move around them. "What pranks it hides, I haven't a clue."

Poison Joke? So it's a flower that played pranks or something? Whatever the flora's intentions were, I probably didn't want to run wildly in the stuff. I followed her example and sidestepped the plant like the plague. When we were out of range, Zecora and I broke out into a run again, determined to get to the other ponies even with the distraction.

As we neared the destination, I could hear growls and barks from the wolves, and sped past Zecora and retrieved my revolver yet again. When I broke the treeline, I was in a wide clearing that was at the bottom of a tall cliff. Six wolves formed a semicircle around three ponies. Applejack was standing protectively in front of a cowering Carrot Top and a mumbling Pinkie Pie, trying to discern which enemy would strike first.

I aimed my revolver at the closest wolf, but I caught sight of Derpy Hooves hovering above with a terrified expression. She seemed like she wanted to help, but didn't know how to proceed. She was inexperienced in combat, I could figure that out easily.

Thinking fast, I knew that the three ponies wouldn't last long with the wolves backing them into the cliff. Though I may be skilled with my revolver and shotgun, I didn't know the first thing about hunting, and didn't know how to handle the situation effectively. I decided to rely on instinct and hoped that everyone survived.

I checked the cylinder again to make absolutely sure I was prepared for the fight, and with my weapon completely loaded, I took action. Six bullets, six wolves. I hoped that was enough. I aimed for the head of a wolf and pulled the trigger, watching the head explode in wooden shrapnel. Both the wolves and ponies were startled from the sudden death, jumping in fright.

"Derpy! Go with Zecora and the others!" I ordered. She gave a nod of confirmation and waved her hooves frantically towards the woods for the ponies to go through. With the wolves putting their attention on me, the three ponies were able to slip around them and follow Derpy into the woods with Zecora alongside them.

Now, it was just me and the Timberwolves.

Two of the wolves sprung towards me, their teeth bared. I was able to take a shot at one, killing it, but didn't have time to take out the other one. The wolf slashed across my right forearm, causing me to cry out in pain and punt the wolf out of range. The other wolves were feeling confident as they all rushed towards me, desperate to see the end of me. I fired off my revolver in quick session, taking out two of them before they swarmed me.

I was dragged off my feet again, but was able to retain my revolver for the life of me. It was practically useless as the wolves all bit and clawed at me. I could feel the hot liquid of blood dripping all over my limbs, my helmet and combat vest protecting my vital organs. I was able to get a some shots off on a few of them, but the bullets didn't hit anything that could kill. I was slowly being mauled to death.

When my head began to fill with the dread of death, I heard something hard impact one of the wolves, forcing the rest of them to stop attacking me to see what had been foolish enough to intervene with their meal. I, too, gave a glance as to who it could be. It was Applejack, of course she was saving my hide again, and in the same hour no less.

Luckily, with the distraction she gave me, I pointed my revolver at one of the wolves' heads and fired. At this range, I could feel the blast from the wolf, like a balloon had popped next to my face. A swish of gray, undoubtedly Derpy, streaked through the air, knocking one of the wolves off of me. With only one wolf left on me, I dropped my empty revolver on the ground and retrieved my knife, sinking it into the chest of the wolf.

Shoving it off, I got to my feet, turned towards the one that Derpy had taken off me, and ran towards it, tackling it to the ground right when it had stood up back up. With its struggling efforts, I hastily shoved my knife deep into its neck, and the wolf crumbled below my frame. With the wolves gone, I breathed a sigh of relief, noticing for the first time that my breathing was fast and labored.

I stood shakily to my feet, my injuries making me feel like I was sitting in acid. I gave a gander around, making sure that the enemies were truly gone. All I saw was Applejack and Derpy standing before me with expressions of concern. The adrenaline that was pumping through my veins was making my vision spin, and I felt sick to my stomach, clutching it with my left hand tightly.

"Ya alright, partner?" Applejack asked tilting her head to the side with a raised eyebrow.

"Peachy," I wheezed out, stumbling like a drunk. "Let's… let's just head back."

"Can you walk?" Derpy asked, sounding more worried than Applejack. I gave a small nod, and they nodded back, beginning to walk back to where Zecora was. After sheathing my knife and reclaiming my revolver, I followed behind with a slight limp, nursing a few of my injuries while leaning on every tree I passed. Though I was wounded pretty badly, I didn't want to seem weak in front of them. Perhaps because I felt like I was their main defense between them and the humans. If I was gone, how were these ponies going to make it?

I gave a dry chuckle; I was boosting my ego by thinking they wouldn't last a day without me. Wincing from a sharp pain in my arm, I focused on walking straight. I gave a sigh, realizing it was going to be a long trip back.

{~+~}

At long last, we emerged from the thick jungle-like forest to the clearing that held Zecora's tent. The place seemed more lively; a small campfire was built and everyone was talking animatedly with each other. Carrot Top was speaking with Zecora, while Spike and Twilight caught up with each other. Pinkie was still looking glum, but that wasn't new. Applejack and Derpy came in without a break in the atmosphere, but when I came into view, everyone went suddenly silent, as if they had forgotten I was still here.

"Don't mind me," I grumbled, walking past them with their eyes glued to me. "Just passing by." I found that they had brought logs to sit around the fire, and with gratefulness, I slowly sank into my seat. I gazed around the group seeing that they were still staring at me. I had really killed the mood.

"You're hurt," Twilight noticed, gesturing to myself. I glanced at my arms, finally able to see them in the light of the fire. They were mostly deep scratches and bites, nothing that wouldn't heal on its own. I reached up and took off my mask, feeling the heat of the fire warm me in the chilling night.

"Very observant," I replied sarcastically. I extracted a cigarette from my vest pouch - at that point in time, it was all I cared about. Twilight briskly trotted over to my side, a band of gauze floating out of her saddle bag in her magic. As Twilight looked me over, applying bandages where needed, I put a cigarette in my mouth and took out my lighter.

"I thought you'd have more hair," Spike commented, earning a glare from Twilight. But I simply chuckled from the remark as I lit my cigarette.

"I'm the first human you met, hmm?" I asked, inhaling the smoke.

"Yep, never met one until now," he expressed rather cheerfully. He seemed blissfully ignorant of all the things humans have done, and I was somewhat glad of that.

"That's my brother, Spike," Twilight introduced with a groan.

I raised a brow at her, and she took note of it as she explained further. "I took him in after I passed the entrance exam for Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns."

I caught most of that, but the school was what puzzled me. It wasn't relevant though, and a different question was begging to be asked. "How does a lizard fit into that exactly?" I asked in confusion.

Before Twilight could answer, Spike exclaimed defensively, "I'm a dragon!"

At that, I burst out laughing for two reasons. One, I should've known there would be dragons in this land, and yet failed to think there would be. And two, he was the smallest dragon that I have ever seen in any work of fiction.

"It's not that funny," Spike huffed, crossing his arms while sulking.

After I calmed down, I inquired with a humorous grin, "How old are you?"

"He's just a baby dragon," Twilight answered with a smile, and Spike groaned loudly.

"Twilight!" he whined pitifully, "Why do you have to say it like that?"

"Because it's true," Twilight responded, bewildered by the question. The others all chuckled heartily at that, making Twilight even more confused. When Twilight tied the last bandage on my leg, she left and sat next to Spike, bringing him closer to herself with a forehoof. Spike didn't resist, and in fact, snuggled up close to her. It made me wonder why Spike was with Zecora in this dangerous forest, but figured I could ask about it later.

"What about you?" I requested, gesturing to Zecora with my free hand and taking another drag from my cigarette afterwards.

"Zecora is my name," she replied politely, pointing a hoof at herself, "And alchemy is my game."

"Do you always rhyme?" I asked, but I must have said it too harshly as her ears folded back.

"If you are uncomfortable about it…" she started, looking ashamed and frightened at the same time.

"I never said I was," I remedied, taking another smoke, "Hell, I thought it was interesting."

"Oh, well…" she seemed speechless, surprised even, "Thank you."

I guessed, with sentences that short, that there was no point to rhyme, and just gave a shrug. Taking a deep drag from my cigarette I prepared myself to ask the group a question. "Okay, riddle me this," I inquired, everyone looking at me as I spoke, "Why is Twilight's brother in a forest full of terrifying monsters with a zebra that knows alchemy?"

Everyone faced Spike and Zecora, who both tensed up from something that was obviously hard to talk about. "I…" Spike started, but wasn't sure where to go with that as he fell silent. Zecora cleared her throat as she gave a grim expression, preparing to tell me.

"Before the invasion, Twilight told Spike to come to me if the humans ever entered town. Together, Spike and I had been bouncing from place to place from all around."

I could see why Spike was reluctant to talk about it. Witnessing an army marching towards town with the intent of taking it over must have been terrifying. I was impressed, though, with their plan."So, you two have been moving around the Everfree Forest to avoid the humans?"

Both Zecora and Spike nodded, and I grunted. "I'll be damned, that's actually a good plan."

Twilight grimaced slightly, probably from the thought of forcing Spike to flee his home and leave behind the other ponies. "I'm glad you're okay, Spike," she expressed, bringing him even closer. "I knew I would find you again."

"It sure is nice seein' ya again, Spike," Applejack said with a smile. "With all those nasty humans out there, I was 'fraid ya would be caught."

I felt a pang of anger when she didn't excuse me from that insult, but I knew there was no changing Applejack's point of view. My only major concern, at that point in time, was my rumbling stomach. "Anybody got some food?"

Applejack gave a tired sigh, and nosed through her saddle bag that sat next to her, searching its contents. "We got apples, apples, and more apples," she deadpanned, glancing over to me.

I winced, gagging slightly at the thought of eating more of the red fruit. After consuming loads of the food for the past few days, I felt like a bit of variety wouldn't be a bad thing. Some oranges, bread, anything to spice things up. My eyes looked over to Zecora, a notion of a silent question. She understood my meaning, but shook her head, unfortunately. Sighing, I reached my hand towards Applejack to take an apple, and she grabbed one and gave it to me. I gazed at the apple dejectedly; perhaps Las Pegasus would hold more bountiful foods.

"You don't have any muffins?" Derpy inquired sadly, her eyes glazing over.

Applejack shook her head, and Spike said, "We don't exactly have anything to bake them in."

Derpy sighed, "I guess I'm too used to the food at Las Pegasus."

The thought of a city where food was commonplace almost seemed like a paradise, especially if it's a sanctuary for ponies; no people to come ruin it. Chuckling, I flicked the cigarette stub into the fire, and bit into the apple with only minimum pause. "What's it like there?" I asked after swallowing, causing the rest of the group to look at Derpy expectantly, curious as well.

Derpy brightened as she spoke, "It's great! There aren't any humans there, we grow our own food, and we take care of each other!"

"How did you get there, Derpy?" Carrot Top questioned, "You lived in Ponyville."

"I was delivering a package to the city when Ponyville was attacked," she revealed, dipping her head. "Rainbow Dash was also delivering something. And that's why she was there."

"What was in it?" Twilight followed up, leaning in slightly. I had to assume that Twilight had gone into hiding before Equestria was completely taken over; why else would she not know about something that one of her friends was doing?

"It has-" Derpy started, but then gave a sharp gasp, hastily covering her mouth with both hooves. She eyed me nervously, causing me to give her a strange look.

"Did I do something?" I asked uncertainly. Derpy pulled her hooves away, but was much more reluctant to speak.

"I can't talk about it around humans," she whispered slowly, playing with her hooves, as she faced downward pitifully. I would have explained to her that I wasn't like other humans, that I was different, but the way she worded her sentence made me rethink my words.

"Someone ordered you to keep it a secret," I stated. She gave a nod, "By Rainbow?" Another nod, "Well… that's understandable, I guess."

Derpy smiled sadly, her eyes glazing over as she stared into the fire, "You're a rather strange human."

"My own world is a lot different from this place," I explained, my mind thinking back to my home. "I guess I would be strange, compared to some of the bastards here."

I could almost feel the gazes bore into my head as I, too, faced the crackling fire. "I guess, in retrospect, it's really similar as well. Earth has its fair share of bloodshed. As long as humans have been around, we seem to be able to find a way to kill one another. Land, resources, opinions; doesn't matter the cause. What does matter, is the effect."

"Nolan," Twilight whispered anxiously, her breath caught in her throat, "what exactly did you do in your world?"

The silence that followed was long and unsettling. I already told Twilight about my job back on Earth. What I didn't explain was the specifics, which is why she brought up the question. With determination, I looked up at all the faces gathered around. Though some didn't know about my occupation, they were just as interested to know, if not more. The answer was simple enough, yet complicated at the same time. "I keep the peace in a city… by killing others who needed to be put down," I replied quietly, causing a shiver to course through the ponies and dragon simultaneously. "It's how I'm so good with a gun, lots of practice… and a good teacher. Those people deserve what I give them."

"Ya talk as if the humans were varmints," Applejack commented coldly, her glare doing nothing to hinder my mood.

"What do you care?" I responded, "You hate humans. If anything, you would be happy that there are less humans."

"That doesn't mean I like killin'!" Applejack shouted, slamming a hoof down as she stood up. I must have spoken too much - I tend to speak pessimistically sometimes, especially if my mind wanders. Another bout of silence hung in the air, the other ponies not sure how to respond to my words or Applejack's outburst.

"No death," Pinkie muttered, still sitting away from the group. "Killing is wrong. Can't stand it."

"Perhaps we should head to bed," Zecora recommended warily, looking at each pony and myself. "All this talk is filling us up with dread."

"Zecora's right," Twilight agreed, standing up as well. "We need to head to Las Pegasus as soon as possible. Once we meet up with Rainbow Dash, we can figure out what to do next."

The other ponies nodded, and prepared for sleep. Zecora had stored another tent bundle in her own tent, in case of emergency, so the ponies had another place to rest. With Twilight's magic, it was set up in no time. There wasn't enough room for myself though, not surprisingly, but Zecora was nice enough to give me a pillow.

After everything was settled, Zecora, Twilight, and Spike slept in the first tent, while Applejack, Carrot Top, Pinkie Pie, and Derpy slept in the other. I remained where I sat, afraid to really fall back asleep. I couldn't fight my exhaustion for long, as the day had taken its toll. I took off my belt, vest, and shotgun and rested them nearby. Then, I rested my head on the pillow. It was troublesome to find the right spot to sleep, but my tiredness won out eventually, and I fell asleep.

{~+~}

"Nolan…" the angelic voice called out. I covered my ears, wanting it to stop, my eyes shut tight. I was back in the recurring nightmare, the white setting around me. The voice of Emma rang in my head, and my guilt doubled.

"No…" I whispered, my jaw tightening. "Please, no."

"Behind you," she said, and despite how much I resisted to look over, I did anyway. There she was again, a white silhouette standing there. My muscles went weak, as I fell to my knees. All I could do was stare at her, her features standing out like spotlights. Her hair, her body, everything reminded me of her. I couldn't bare to see her anymore, tearing my eyes away.

"Please, leave me alone," the words felt like daggers in my heart; it was hard to tell my deceased girlfriend to leave, especially after seeing her for the first time in two years. But she was only tormenting me in my own head. Each night she came, standing there as a grim reminder of my mistake. The one mistake that had cost her life.

"I will," she spoke, making me inhale sharply in surprise. She hadn't said anything besides my name and 'behind you'. This would be the first time she actually acknowledged me in this place. I looked up to her, my mask hiding my disbelief. "All you have to do, is tell me where you are."

My breathing was increasing rapidly; it could finally stop. All the terrible dreams, the sleepless nights, all could be gone if I simply tell her where I was…

Wait a minute.

Both my hands clenched tightly as I stared at her intently. She tilted her head sideways ever so slightly. I pushed myself up to my feet, and asked, "Why do you want to know where I am?"

She hesitated, and all it did was make her seem like someone she wasn't. "To see the real you," she answered, but it sounded desperate, like she was hoping I would believe that.

"Where did we first kiss?" I whispered, my arms shaking.

"W-What?" she asked in shock, confirming it even more.

"Where did we first kiss!?" I shouted, startling her as she raised her hands to her chest.

"I- We- At…" she was grasping at straws, making my temper rise.

"Where did we first meet? How old was I? What was our patrol number?" I was shooting out questions like a machine gun as I walked towards her, each time causing her to wince and shrink down. "How long were we together? When did you die?"

She didn't speak, stuttering with different words. I came to a stop standing a few feet away from her. I knew she couldn't see the deathly glare I was giving her, but she seemed to sense it as she fidgeted with her hands from my mere gaze.

"Here's a question you might be able to answer," I said, barely moving a muscle, and she tensed up. "Who the hell are you?"

"I-I'm your-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" I screamed, holding myself back from punching her. "I asked you a question, you faking shithead! You better tell me the truth before I crush your head with my boot."

She jerked back at my threat, and I crossed my arms in wait. She faced away from me in thought, but I didn't rush her. I knew I had her beat. Then, without warning, I fell, the world breaking into darkness.

{~+~}

I woke with a start, sitting straight up as I was thrown back into reality. I gave a quick look around, seeing that it was still night, and that the fire had died out a while ago. As I realized that I was back where I was, my anger grew until I really needed to let loose a torrent of swear words. Since the ponies were asleep, I couldn't do that, but I was able to compensate.

"Fuck!" I hissed quietly, slamming my fist onto the ground. With that, I gave a long and tired sigh, leaning against my knees. It was a relief to know that Emma wasn't haunting me, though I still felt like I deserved it, but that means that someone else had been messing with my dreams. Seeing as I had no way to find out who was doing it, there was no way I could stop that person from entering and driving me insane for as long as I was in Equestria. Although, she was frightened when I found her out, maybe she would back off.

That raised another question: _How_ did she enter my dreams? If it was magic, that would mean that a unicorn was responsible. I doubted Twilight would be the culprit - a girl like her wasn't one to hurt others. The humans couldn't have done it, unless they suddenly gained the ability of magic. And why did this person what to know where I was anyway? What was this person up to?

I rubbed my face, feeling both irritated and drained. That 'dream' made sure I wasn't getting sleep anytime soon, so I just sat there thinking. "Why me?" I asked myself, shaking my head. "Why is this all happening to me?"

I stood up and stretched my legs, as they were sore from sleeping on the ground. I sat on one of the logs again, feeling the implications of everything hit me suddenly. Talking ponies, crazy dreams, trans-dimensional travel, tyrannical humans; I was surprised I hadn't cracked yet. I placed my head in my hands, my brain empty and fuzzy.

"Nolan?" I heard a voice call out softly, I looked over to the tents to see Carrot Top standing half way out, looking at me concerningly. "Are you alright?

I faced away, hiding my disdain, "I'm fine. Just had a bad dream."

There was a short pause before Carrot Top left the tent completely and walked over to me. I turned to her as she sat down next to me; something told me she was having trouble sleeping as well.

"Do you… do you want to talk about it?" she inquired quietly and carefully. The remnants of the dream flashed through my head, and I sighed deeply.

"No, I don't," I replied, making Carrot Top even sadder than before as she looked to the ground dejectedly. "But is there something _you_ want to talk about?"

She flinched when I finished the question, looking at me in wonder. I suppressed a smile, "I can tell when someone can't sleep. I've had experience."

Carrot Top's eyes flicked downward in sorrow, her forehoof stroking her other for comfort. "I don't want to bother you," she stated, but I felt like she was just being courteous, "It's kind of a long story."

I shrugged, gesturing towards the night sky, "Got nothing better to do for the next few hours."

I was able to get a sad smile from my half-assed joke, and she faced forward recounting her tale. "I had a brother, one I loved very much. His name was Fire Mane, and he loved playing with fire. But sometime later, we found out he liked putting out the fires more than making them. We would play all sorts of games together; tag, hide-and-seek, and all that. He'd always cheer me up when I was sad, and every Sunday, we would get ice cream and count the number of clouds in the sky. We were practically inseparable. When we grew up, I took the family business of growing carrots, and he became a fire pony in the local department. He was the best of the best, saving ponies from buildings and cats from trees. Yet he always found time to come by and keep me company."

I gripped my knee as something struck me as odd. "You're speaking in the past tense," I noted with a heavy heart, "And I don't think its before the invasion. What happened?"

"A lot of ponies have lost their loved ones in this war," she said slowly, a frown growing on her muzzle. "But that doesn't mean we didn't lose them before."

She took a deep, shaky breath and continued, "A year before the invasion, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. We couldn't cure it; the infection he got prevented him from getting treatment, then spread too much to cut out or use magic. For months, he was in the hospital, fighting a losing battle. But he took it with stride, never complaining about it all, and even encouraged other crippled ponies. Then he… passed away."

I could tell she was fighting back tears, but they were able to come out anyway, sliding down her cheeks. She wasn't finished though; I could tell. She was still sobbing silently when she looked up at me with a trembling lip. "I… I never got to say goodbye," she said hoarsely, struggling to speak clearly. "I miss him so much."

"And that's where the nightmares come in," I finished, and she nodded, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. Hearing about someone else's loved one passing away reminded of my own heartache.

"I lost someone as well," I said, causing her to whip her head at me, her eyes wide. I didn't think it would be that surprising. "I was going out with a beautiful woman, named Emma Margaret. We met in the police department as partners, and we were together for three years, and it was fantastic."

Carrot Top's ears folded back, reluctant to ask what was on her mind, but I already knew what she was going to ask, "How did she die?"

My mouth went dry, and I forced myself to swallow, the memories flooding back through my head. The firefight, the mistake, the bullet, the death, the pain; it was almost unbearable. I broke out of that horrible daydream, and focused on Carrot Top, who was waiting patiently for my answer. I gripped my hands tightly together, "She was shot."

I didn't want to go further than that, the pain in my heart was too great to bear. Thankfully, Carrot Top picked up on that, and simply bowed her head in silent remorse. "Is that why you're having trouble sleeping?" she inquired after a short pause.

"Part of it," I replied, "Not sure what the other part is though."

"I'm sorry."

"Everybody always is", I replied with an indifferent look.

She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself, nodding instead.

"You know," Carrot Top started slowly, looking off to the side. "You're the first human that actually… listened to me."

I grunted, "Like I keep saying, not from this world."

"That doesn't change that fact," she said, with a small smile. "Thanks."

A smiled back; it was a small piece of gratitude, and in this place, it was one of the few I was ever given. "You're welcome, I guess."

She stared into my eyes for a full minute, before she realized what was doing, and looked away with an embarrassed look, blushing. Again with the blushing. Did she not like being stared at? I brushed it off as she stood back up and headed for the the tent.

"Well, good night," she called back gently.

"Same to you," I returned as I saw her disappear through the canvas. When I thought about it, she was the first pony to actually treat me kindly. Granted, I did save her life, twice, but it was still a bit heartwarming, to say the least. Her story was saddening as well, having someone die when there was no cure for something like that must have been difficult to go through. One sentence she said was still replaying in my mind:

_A lot of ponies have lost their loved ones in this war, but that doesn't mean we didn't lose them before._

It made me think about all the other ponies that I have met. Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie, Derpy; they all must have lost someone or other in this war. Who they were and what happened to them was a mystery, and probably would be for a long time. If I was averse to talking about my life, they would be as well, if not more.

And they probably lost a lot of them from the humans.

I understood the ponies a lot more, but I that doesn't mean I knew them personally. A three day trip to Los Pegasus would be quite a journey, and maybe we could learn something from each other. With that thought, I lifted myself off the log and back on the ground, resting my head against the pillow. No point in staying awake all night.

{~+~}

In memory of Eddie Albert Goble II

(1988 - 2013)

* * *

**Eddie is SomeGuyCamping's (my editor) brother-in-law who passed away recently. Find the reference.**


	7. Chapter 7: Dust

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 7: Dust**

I was the first to wake in the morning. That was probably the earliest I have ever awoken in Equestria, since one of the ponies usually stirs me from my sleep. I remained still, however, instead of waking the others. If they weren't awake, then it was too early to do anything; Applejack and Twilight had both confide in me that they were early birds. The moment gave me time to reflect on my dream. Mostly just contemplating what asshole would use my dead girlfriend as a way to get to me. No matter what that person said or did next time I met him, I would never forgive him. As I was lost in my thoughts, the ponies emerged from their slumber, rubbing their eyes with yawns. I shelved the thought of the dream intruder for the time being, and got up myself. Because of our tiredness, none of us talked much, silently eating our breakfast - apples, again.

After that, we got down to business. "So it's a agreed that we're heading for Las Pegasus?" Twilight asked the group, looking at each of us. Everyone gave their agreements, except me, who was actually thinking it through. Rainbow was another Element of Harmony, so it was only natural to go to her. If my hunch was correct, she would know where the last two ponies were to get me home. Derpy was a spy, that was plainly obvious, so she was bound to have loads of information about the humans and such.

"Nolan?" Twilight called, gaining my attention as I snapped out of my revery. "What about you?"

"Yeah, sure," I answered quickly, standing up from my seat. "Let's get going."

Twilight packed up the tents in record time, while everyone else gathered everything together for the trip out of the forest. Since I had no backpack - nor would I probably ever find one - all I had to do was slip on my mask and I was set. It made me feel useless that I couldn't hold any of the loads, but, then again, I was basically a guard for these ponies.

Once everything was in its bag, and everybody was ready to go, I asked, "So what's the plan out of this forest?"

"I shall lead you through," Zecora chanted, already walking towards the edge of the clearing, "and still have time to make some stew."

I could only assume what she meant was that she'd guide us through the Everfree Forest as fast as she could. None of us responded to her statement, though, and instead just followed along. I remained in the back, keeping a wary eye out for any more Timberwolves that may still have been lurking about. Not just Timberwolves either. I had come to learn sometime on the trip that many monsters inhabited the woods. Cockatrices, Manticores, hydras; anything that was a mythological creature in my world was a living, breathing beast in this forest.

I could see why humans had never ransacked the place, and why Zecora and Spike were able to live there peacefully, to an extent. I didn't have to worry too much about the monsters here, however, as Zecora was an excellent guide. She knew which routes to take to avoid a creature's territory, which plants to stay away from, and even when it was a good time to take a break. She knew the Everfree Forest like the back of her hoof, and she didn't hesitate to show it. I doubt even Twilight knew the stuff she did, and that's saying something.

"How do you know so much about this forest?" I eventually asked her out of nowhere.

She turned to me with a perplexed look. She still didn't trust me as far as she could throw me, "I have lived in these woods for many years. I like it here, despite its fears."

I rubbed my chin in thought. Why would anybody want to live here? Surely Ponyville was built before she moved here. "Why didn't you live in town? Or at least in the plains?

"Plants and herbs populate the Everfree," she answered, flashing me a knowing smirk, "It reminds me of home, which fills me with glee."

"And Ponyville kind of shunned her a bit," Twilight added with an embarrassed grin. Zecora gave a short chuckle, obviously having gotten over that fact a while ago.

"You said this place reminds you of home," I continued, gesturing to the forest around us. "Where were you from?"

"The land of Zebrica, is where I'm from," she explained, looking upwards in remembrance, "It is a place with no hint of scum."

It wasn't hard to figure out what Zebrica represented in my world. After all, she was a zebra, so it would stand to reason that she was from this world's equivalent of Africa. Never the less, the number of punny names for this place was overwhelming my sense of logic. Couldn't they come up with any original names here? Though, since these ponies had never heard of any city from my world, I suppose it was understandable that the names would be what they are.

I was so deep in thought about the subject, that I didn't notice that we had reached the edge of the forest until I nearly bumped into Derpy. I gazed out into the open, where the Everfree Forest ended, and saw normal looking trees leading down a path that had come from an unknown location. No doubt the trail would lead us to our destination: Las Pegasus.

"This must be Highwing Road," Twilight noted, staring at the dirt path with a hint of happiness. "All we have to do now is follow it straight for Las Pegasus."

"Woo-Wee!" Applejack exclaimed in astonishment, eyeing the road with equal content, "We'll be there in no time!"

"Thanks for everything, Zecora," Derpy said, a wide grin on her face. Zecora nodded humbly. We walked a few steps to start our journey, but soon realized that Zecora and Spike weren't following. Simultaneously, we all turned to the two with confused expressions as they played with their feet or hooves.

"You're not comin'?" Applejack asked with disappointment. The other ponies shared the same sentiment; they didn't want to part from the two we had only met yesterday.

"Sorry guys," Spike apologized, rubbing his elbow, "But Zecora and I think we should stay here."

Twilight balked, Her jaw dropping as she stared at Spike, "But… why?"

"We believe that we should stay near," Zecora explained, "Watching the humans while we're here."

That was a pretty good idea; these two could easily check up on the humans in Ponyville, and if they got caught, they would only have to run into the Everfree Forest to lose their pursuers. The ponies in the group, however, didn't like the reason. They were very attached to these two, and if I had gotten to know them, I would have felt the same way. No one said anything against their decision, and in the end, all the ponies shared a collective sigh, and smiled.

"Well, Hope ta see ya soon then, Zecora, Spike," Applejack drawled, tipping her hat with a hoof.

"Yeah," Derpy agreed, shooting a few meters into the air and doing a back flip. "And don't let any flying houses land on you!"

Spike rolled his eyes with a shake of his head as Zecora snickered at Derpy's quip. I myself couldn't tell if Derpy was joking or serious. Carrot Top gave a quick goodbye, and Pinkie mumbled something of the same. Twilight walked up to Spike with a sad smile, taking a deep breath.

"Well, Spike," Twilight said, a genuine smile growing, "Take care of yourself."

"Why wouldn't I?" Spike replied, shrugging. "Besides, Zecora will watch over me."

Twilight chuckled lightly before hugging him tightly, Spike struggling in her hold as he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Everyone else gazed at the two with broad smiles, but I could see the sadness in their eyes, and it wasn't for Twilight and Spike. They were remembering their own loved ones. I should know, I looked into the mirror the same way.

It was many minutes before they finally broke apart, and with that, we silently walked away. However, I was stopped by someone tugging on my lower pants, and when I looked down, I saw it was Spike. He was bashful, giving a small hint of a blush on his cheeks as he faced away from me.

"Can you… do a dragon a solid?" he requested. That wording made me look at him quizzically, but my mask hid it. I was more curious as to what he wanted than actually wanting to help him out, though it was part of it, so I gave a nod.

"Could you find Rarity, please?" he asked, looking at me hopefully. I recalled that Rarity was another one of Twilight's friends, one that I needed to find to get home. What confused me was why this small dragon would be concerned for this pony. They must have been friends, sure, but why did he ask about this particular pony? And why didn't he ask Twilight or another pony instead of me? I voiced my questions, and he let go of my clothing, fidgeting with his hands.

"Promise you won't tell anypony…" he whispered, putting a hand by his mouth while watching the others around us, who were waiting for us to finish. "But... I like Rarity."

Huh. A school crush. Haven't encountered something like that for a long time. He wasn't finished talking, though, and he looked like he was searching for the right words to answer my other question. "And… you seem like a cool guy, especially if the others trust you."

"I wouldn't exactly call it 'trust'," I mumbled, crossing my arms. He looked at me pleadingly, giving me the puppy-dog eyes. I don't know why he resorted to that, I hadn't even answered his question yet. "Alright, fine, I'll find Rarity for you."

His attitude flipped completely, as a grand smile erupted on his face as he hugged my leg. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you."

I awkwardly peeled Spike off, and he ran back to Zecora, waving us off as I walked back to the group to continue our journey. We grew further and further away, with Derpy waving comically to the two the whole time. I faced forward, and examined the snaking path through the forest, a small mountain range looming in the background. "So where exactly is Las Pegasus?" I questioned no one in particular.

"It's South East of Ponyville, just past those mountains," Twilight informed, pointing at the peaks.

"Hiking," I muttered. I had never, in all my life, walked along a mountain trail. I was hardly even exposed to nature as a whole. Living in the city all my life had its disadvantages. It sure would be interesting.

{~+~}

Journeys were a bitch. In movies or books, the heroes walk hundreds of miles through deserts and such, and come out fine. With me, it was totally different. Though I wasn't carrying anything, my body armor and weaponry still weighed me down, and my black outfit acted like a conductor for the sun, practically baking me alive. We were about half way around the mountains when the sun had set, and I opted to rest early. the others were a bit reluctant to do so, probably because they all seemed fine and dandy. However, they complied anyway, probably thinking it was for the best.

As I was gathering sticks with Applejack, I felt like I should find a way to break the ice. The silence was killing me, and I wanted to keep my mind off all the walking we would have to do the next day. "So," I started simply, my mind going blank.

"Yeah?" Applejack urged on, picking up a stick with her mouth and tossing into her saddle bag; how could these ponies stand putting things like that in their mouths?

"What exactly happened to the Pegasi?" I asked, glancing over at her. It was the first thing that popped into my head, and it was a question that had bothered me since learning of their existence.

Applejack sighed, "I guess now's as good a time as any."

She placed one more branch in her saddle bag before facing me fully, her expression hardening. "When Canterlot was taken over by you humans, many of the pegasi left for Cloudsdale for sanctuary. I haven't heard anythin' since. There are some exceptions, of course. Rainbow Dash and Derpy being two of 'em."

"Couldn't the humans take over Cloudsdale like any other city?" I asked, heading back to camp with Applejack walking beside me.

She gave me a dry chuckle, keeping her gaze forward. "Cloudsdale is unreachable unless you have wings or a hot-air balloon; it's in the sky."

I was taken aback by that. Though it made sense that Pegasi would have a city in the sky, the thought of anything living above ground made me wonder at the possibilities. I had to ponder what it must be like…

{~+~}

The next morning, I was both relieved and worried when I found out that I didn't have another nightmare. The perpetrator must have learned his lesson, and decided to leave me alone. Or come up with another plan. Either way, I had a restful night. Our journey continued for two more days, and still, no one really spoke with one another. It could have been because we were all focused on getting to the sanctuary of the city, or that there was literally nothing to talk about. It could even be because they were still nervous around me. I didn't mind too much, I liked the quiet.

After passing by the mountains, we were greeted with a wide desert, with barely a hill to be found. The grass that once was very prominent was now replaced with barren earth, indicating that it had became a dry desert. In the far distance sat Las Pegasus. I was surprised that I could see it at all, as the buildings weren't exactly big.

"Oh, oh!" Derpy exclaimed excitedly, floating a few feet ahead of us while pointing a hoof at the far-off city. "There it is! Las Pegasus!"

"We see it," I said, with a dismissive wave, "It's not very much though."

"What did you expect?" Twilight asked, walking to my side with a raised brow.

"Bigger buildings," I commented with a shake of my head.

Applejack scoffed, "I don't like the city. The ponies there are pretty judgemental."

That would explain why she and I could never got along. She was raised in the country side, with hard work and kind folks around. Then there was me, raised in the city where people would rather find a nickel on the street than help you. Applejack and I were as different as night and day. We continued towards the city in silence.

{~+~}

The sun was in the afternoon position as we finally arrived at our destination. And it wasn't exactly pretty. Everything looked bleak; the buildings were abandoned, the streets were deserted, and the sky was completely devoid of clouds. If I didn't know better, I'd say the place was left to rot, plucked clean by the humans when they came through here. Yet Derpy had this wide grin on her face that pointed against that. There must have been a catch to all of this.

Despite the disheveled wreck that was the city, my mind couldn't help but see the differences between the city I knew and this place. The roads were quite wide, and the buildings were built low. They were simplistic in that they had one door at the ground level and two windows on each floor. The material for every building was brick. No matter where I looked, that was all I saw. It also left a strange feeling in me, though that could just be that we had gotten here after traveling for so long.

The ponies didn't admire the place as I did, for they were very confused and scared. "Are you sure this is Las Pegasus?" Carrot Top asked, looking at the buildings with a grimace, her ears folded back.

"This is definitely the place," Twilight muttered, also looking around.

"Come on, guys, it's this way," called Derpy who had gone ahead of us and around a corner. The ponies trotted to catch up, but I hung back, being very cautious. The feeling of someone watching me made me glance around. I could only hope it wasn't humans.

"Whoa Nelly," Applejack said slowly, and when I looked over, I saw her and everyone else's jaws were wide open in shock. I briskly made my way over, my footsteps giving an eerie echo in the desolate city. When I broke around the building to see what the ponies saw, I instantly found out what they were stunned about.

A wall. A large, makeshift wall that looked hastily built. It was a good four stories high - which was two stories higher than the other buildings. It was made up of wood mostly, though there was an occasional metal plate here and there. It formed a circle around a portion of the city, by the look of it. A double door sat directly in the middle of the street, ten meters away from where we stood. All in all, it was a breath-taking spectacle that made me wonder how ponies were able to make it.

"Here it is!" Derpy said, staring up at it with a smirk, "The Resistance!"

"We made it!" Twilight cried, galloping forward with vigor. The other ponies followed suit, even Pinkie, all glad to make it to the one place that would be human-free. I even found myself giving a sigh of relief, knowing that I would be able to find the last two ponies, retrieve the Elements of Harmony, and get home, all by simply walking through to the other side.

I took a single step, and a loud bang resonated through the city. A bullet hit me square in the chest, and the air was instantly knocked out of me. I fell to the floor, losing consciousness fast as the sound of my name was called.

What felt like a split second later, I came to, my mind incredibly fuzzy with a sharp pain in my chest and faint ringing in my ears. I had been shot, obviously, but by who, I didn't know. It must have been by humans, but that raised more questions than answers. Deciding to get my bearings, I raised my head ever so slightly to a fairly startling scene, darkness threatening to overcome my sight.

The first thing I saw was Carrot Top, sobbing on my chest, her face covered by her hooves. Pinkie was to my left, covering her ears with her hooves as she hyperventilated, her eyes as small as pinpricks while she mumbled something. Applejack was off to my right, her face one of disbelief as she simply stared at the ground. Why she would seem so stunned was beyond me, my mind was filling up with too many questions as it was. I faced in front of me, past Carrot Top, to see something that was pretty new.

The door had opened up to show a rainbow maned pony with a sky-blue coat. That was all I was able to discern about her, what with my shaken body and all. Derpy and Twilight were shouting and arguing with the pony, and a steady crowd of other ponies, that was still growing, observed from the other side of the wall.

There wasn't a human in sight.

I laid my head back down, regaining my hearing and energy simultaneously, and it wasn't quiet at all, much to my small headache. Bickering, disagreements, the whole enchilada. I took a deep breath, and that startled Carrot Top enough to look up at me, her face full of surprise and hope. I lifted my left hand and waved slowly, making Carrot Top flinch upon seeing it. Slowly but surely, I began rising from the ground, grunting from the pain that still lingered on my chest.

The first to notice were Pinkie and Applejack, who were both in disbelief, as they backed away from me like I was coming back from the dead. The ponies of the crowd were growing quiet fast, absolutely terrified of me by the looks of it. Derpy, Twilight, and the rainbow pony were the last to notice my revival, as I stood to full height, my left arm nursing my stomach where the bullet hit me. The three were gawking at me like the rest, but not as much as the rainbow pony, who had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing right.

It was probably the most unbearable silence I have even been in, and it was incredibly irritating. I swept my gaze over the crowd, taking note of everyone that had gathered around. They were all staring at me, just standing there like freaking idiots. The wind was taunting the silence that seemed to reign supreme as it blew through.

With my annoyance at its peak, I finally spoke, "It's not polite to stare."

That shook everyone out of their daze, as they got over their initial shock and glared at me, besides those in my group of course. Applejack and Pinkie ran to my side with Carrot Top, looking me up and down, in doubt that I was still ticking. "B-But you were shot!" Pinkie exclaimed, and Applejack nodded to her statement.

"Not from this world," I repeated darkly, my face downcast to check my combat vest. I small imprint where the bullet had impacted was all that was left, and I grunted in thankfulness that I had my armor. I hadn't told the others about it, since it never really came up. I faced the crowd again, seeing the large amount of hate that was practically radiating from them. I took a few steps forward before the rainbow colored pony shot forward and got in my face. She was so fast that I didn't even see her do it, and jumped back from her sudden appearance, which didn't help the chest.

"Stay back, human!" she snarled. She was female, and from this distance, it wasn't hard to see her magenta eyes glowering at me. Her statement was followed by shouts and jeers and such that garbled together. The basic gist of it was that they didn't want me around here, and probably wanted me dead. Twilight and the others tried everything they could to explain, and the rainbow pony flew back to confront them for whatever reason.

All I wanted to do was get a word in, explain my situation, _something_, but the volume was so loud that I couldn't even hear my own voice. No matter how loud I was, it was drowned out by the ponies' obnoxious yells of loathing. I rubbed my forehead tiredly, thinking of what I could do to regain the silence that had once been dominant. That's when I got an idea.

As quick as a whip, I unholstered my revolver, raised it over my head with my right hand, and fired. The noise was stopped in an instant, all eyes wide as the crowd focused on me. I, myself, was groaning in pain from my hand, barely keeping my weapon in my hold. It was hard enough trying to keep my revolver steady with two hands, but with one, it strained my arm considerably. I waited a few moments to allow the pain to subside a bit, and placed my revolver back in its place.

"Now that I have your fucking attention," I growled loudly, "Can someone tell me who the hell shot me?!"

The rainbow pony was the first to speak, as she bared her teeth and stomped a hoof in frustration. "Who cares _who_ shot you!" she emphasized, "What matters is why you aren't dead! Those guns always killed ponies when a human shot them!"

Before I could stop myself, I chuckled, which didn't help my situation in the least with the rainbow pony. Was that the first time any of these ponies tried to shoot a human? I could imagine their disbelief pretty well now. "Don't laugh about this, human!" the rainbow pony shouted, she just loved giving out orders. She turned to Derpy, her glare still steady, "Why the hay did you bring a human, Derpy?! I told you not to do that! You're putting everypony here at risk!"

Derpy shrunk down from the rainbow pony's gaze, her eyes glancing at all the other ponies that glared at her. "I thought that- He was- I mean-" she stammered, struggling to find the right words.

"Hey, don't blame her!" I shouted, and the Rainbow pony whipped her head towards me. "She just thought she was doing what was best!"

"Stay out of this, human!" she retorted angrily, "You're lucky you're not dead yet, so don't push your luck!"

Twilight jumped between the rainbow pony and myself, looking very worried, "Rainbow, please, we all decided to bring him with us."

"Yeah," Carrot Top agreed, "and he has a name."

"I don't care what his name is!" the pony known as Rainbow shouted. This was the pony that was in charge of the Resistance, and one of the ponies that was supposed to assist my return home. Thinking it over, I was screwed. No way in hell and back was she going to help me. "Why are you sticking up for him? Unless…"

She narrowed her eyes, "...You're all brainwashed."

"RD, that's ridiculous," Applejack put in, giving her own glare at Rainbow. "How would a human do that anyway?"

"I-I don't know," Rainbow shot back, her resolve faltering, "But we all know that those things only bring bad news!"

"I'm right here, damn it," I whispered to myself, grinding my teeth.

"H-He kills," Pinkie said, swallowing, and causing Rainbow to jump back in freight with a yelp. She must not have noticed her until now. "B-but he doesn't kill innocent ponies."

"I bet he does!" Psycho Pinkie put in, making Rainbow back away further from her, fear evident on her face. What perfect timing for Pinkie's split personality to come in.

"P-Pinkie!?" Rainbow shouted in disbelief, "W-Why are you here? I thought you were-"

"Still in the asylum!" Psycho Pinkie interrupted, "Where you left me to wither away and be forgotten!?"

Rainbow's ears folded back, the hurt etched on her features as she consciously placed a hoof over her heart. "Pinkie… You can't honestly think that…" she said, just barely louder than a whisper.

The anger on Pinkie's face faded away and was replaced with sorrow, "N-No! I didn't mean that!"

She didn't say any more as she looked away, her eyes clamped shut. Rainbow continued to stare at her though, like she was expecting Psycho Pinkie to yell out again. "How did she even get out?" Rainbow asked, then faced Twilight with bewilderment whiled pointing at her, "And why did you leave the bunker?" she faced Applejack and pointed again, "and I thought you were captured by humans!"

"They were, technically," Derpy spoke up, looking braver, "But..."

She turned her gaze towards me, and once again, all eyes were on me. I felt myself fill up with pride; I was actually _proud _of helping these ponies. I wasn't sure if it was simply because it meant I would be in the good books with these ponies. Subconsciously, I hoped that wasn't the case. "No, no, no," Rainbow said with each shake of her head, "There's no way a human helped you guys out. They have no reason to!"

"Well, I do!" I said, making my way over to the group, the crowd quickly backpedalled away, cautious of my approach. I ignored them, however, and focused on Rainbow Dash as I stopped a few feet away from her. She raised a brow with a questioning look before flaring her wings and hovering in front of me.

"And what reason would that be, hmm?" She asked, jabbing a hoof at my chest. I winced from the sore spot, but my mask hid it well, and I was partially thankful for that. I knocked her hoof away and crossed my arms.

"To get home," I answered truthfully and simply.

Rainbow rolled her eyes disdainfully, "If you just went North, you can, feather-brain."

"That isn't my home," I said quickly, and looked to the sky as if I could see Earth itself floating above. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to describe my predicament. "I'm not from this world."

"So now you're saying you're an alien?" she scoffed, and there was more than a few snickers from the crowd of ponies.

I grunted in irritation, "I might be, not really sure."

Rainbow landed back on the ground and walked away from me. "Wow, you're unbelievable," she said with a small chuckle, "A human that says he's an alien."

I knew there was no way I'd get to her, but that wasn't my top priority. What I needed to do was to find the stuff I needed to get out of here. Twilight spoke up before I could voice my thoughts, "Rainbow, can we discuss this inside?"

Rainbow dipped her head in thought, then glanced over to me, her eyes studying me with full intent of uncertainty. I couldn't blame her for being protective of the other ponies. After all, they were able to make it this far, why risk bringing in a human now? Even so, I hope she would take that risk. Finally, she faced Twilight again with a softened face."Alright," she relented with a sigh, "But he doesn't go anywhere with those guns and stuff. And I want someone to watch him twenty-four seven."

"That's reasonable," Applejack nodded, and the others agreed as well, besides me.

"Maybe for you it is," I said, barely moving, "I'm not giving up my stuff."

"It's either that," Rainbow replied, "Or we take you out like we do with the every other human that comes by."

I rubbed the back of my head, forcing myself to cool down. Getting mad at these ponies would not get me anywhere. So, reluctantly, I took out my shotgun and knife and put them in Applejack's saddle bag. Then I got out my revolver, gazing at it as if it would be the last time I would see it. Gripping the gun tightly, I reached over to the saddle bag and forced myself to place it gently inside. Rainbow gave a smug grin that was extremely agitating, and strolled through the wall. The other spectating ponies either left to do whatever they did, or allowed Rainbow to pass by, along with the other ponies.

I waited until my group was through before attempting to enter the portion of the city, and as I passed the gate, the eyes of everyone locked on to me with contempt and hatred. I glanced around, It wasn't too different from outside the wall, though it didn't look nearly as run down or condemned. The streets were replaced with large gardens, flourishes of bountiful fruit trees and vegetables growing exuberantly. Many a pony walked along the sidewalks, either tending to the garden or monitoring everything else. Signs and posters covered the walls with slogans like 'Stand against the humans!' or 'Don't turn on your fellow pony!'. Each poster always had the picture of Celestia, reinforcing my view that she was very important to the ponies.

In all my life, I have never been discriminated by anyone; I was pretty much an Average Joe. However, in this city alone, I was hit full force with it, everyone's judgemental gazes lingering on me as if I would lash out like any other human here would. I remained by the gate as the group walked along, and I hurried after them as two ponies closed the doors behind me. Locking it with an innumerable amount of locks.

No matter where I looked, there was always somebody staring at me with narrowed eyes, or with an upturned snout of superiority. It was extremely disheartening, and it only got worse as I continued along. At one point, the oranges that hung bare on the trees were too enticing to resist as I passed by them, and I reached out to pluck one. I was stopped suddenly by someone kicking me in the shin, hard. I nearly fell down, and only by waving my hands around a bit was I able to regain my balance. I continued walking while facing behind me to see who had done it, and saw a pink mare with a lime green mane and daisies as a cutie mark shake her head slowly with a furrowed brow.

Having enough of all the hostility, I looked to the ground with a heavy sigh. I could hear ponies whispering behind my back, and I knew it wasn't anything good. It was all just becoming too much, and it made me think how evil those humans must have really been to cause these ponies to act like that.

Eventually, we made it to a building that was off to the side of the main road, right before an intersection. It looked to be a bookstore, as emphasised by the sign out front.

The group entered the building single file with Rainbow Dash being last. I was about to follow before she shot back out and shoved me away without a care. "_You_ stay out here," she ordered, "Dusty will watch over you until we're done."

Then, she slammed the door shut. Sighing, I glanced behind me, and took note of a pegasus stallion that stood straight with some odd clothing. He had on a sandy-tan duster of some sort with a vest underneath. His coat was as grey as Derpy's with a short cut black mane and tail. A pair of shaded glasses sat on his snout as a glare hid behind it, and I eyed him strangely. Why was he so oddly dressed? If I didn't know better, he was a part of S.W.A.T. himself.

"What are you looking at?" he shot out with an Australian accent defensively. I guess it wouldn't be too irregular for a pony to have an accent like that, Applejack had a southern accent after all. I closed my eyes in suppressed anger at his attitude, and laid back against the wall by the door, sliding down to a sitting position. The pony, who was probably Dusty, didn't move a bit, still staring at me like I would disappear in a blink of an eye.

Reaching up, I took off my head gear and stuff, and breathed easy in the cool air. Having it on had become second nature, and I had sometimes forgotten I was wearing it at all. I faced the pony in front of me, then glanced at the door beside me. There was some muffled talking, but nothing could be made out. I was stuck here until they were finished.

"So... Dusty, is it?" I said, tilting my head as I examined him.

"How did you survive that gun shot?" He questioned, rebounding my question with one of his own.

Knowing there was no way around it, I decided to reveal my 'ace in the hole' in this world. "I have a bulletproof vest," I answered, gesturing to my torso nonchalantly. Seeing him struggle to examine my vest from a distance was oddly humorous, seeing as we were at least five meters away from each other. He eventually leaned back, and sat down on his haunches before reaching into his inside coat pocket. When he pulled his hoof back out, a bottle that looked like whiskey was in its hold, somehow. Using his teeth, he popped out the plug, dropped it to the ground, and took a large gulp from the bottle. After he was finished, he turned his eyes back on me.

"Since when did humans have that kind of armor?" He asked like I was being interrogated. "We haven't seen any indication that you had them."

"Since when did ponies have alcohol?" I replied with a question. If we were playing twenty questions, then I want to get some of mine answered.

Dusty scoffed, "What does it matter to you, ya dingo?"

I couldn't hide my irritance as I responded, "Just answer the goddamn question."

"I don't have to say anything to you," he retorted quickly, taking another swig from the bottle.

I silently gave a curse to his aggressive nature, wishing to be rid of him as soon as possible. We sat there for awhile before he spoke up again. "I see you got Pinkie from the asylum," he said, with a tilt of his bottle.

I had no idea why he would want to bring that subject up, based off everything else I've done. I brought a princess, for God's sake. Even still, I waited for him to go on. "What was it like there? In that asylum?"

I looked up to the cloudy sky, letting my head rest against the brick wall I was relaxing against. In all honesty, it was probably the worst place I've ever been in. Crazy ponies, dark atmosphere, and enough chills to freeze over Hell. It definitely wasn't someplace I liked to talk about, but why was he so interested in it? It didn't make any sense that this pony would...

The letter.

Instead of answering Dusty's question, I jumped to my feet - which in turn made him jump up - and dove a hand into my pocket. He looked quite ticked that I had caught him off guard, though it was hard to tell with his shades. My gloved fingers came across the piece of parchment, and I yanked it out. It was the same letter that I had found in the asylum. My eyes briskly scanned it over, seeing if my memory was correct. Then I found what I was looking for:

_Give my regards to Dusty Hall, and a raise, since he's working a fair amount of overtime._

I slowly raised my head to look at Dusty, who was eyeing me like I had suddenly sprouted wings. It felt good to have something over him, even if he didn't know it yet. "You worked at the asylum, didn't you Dusty Hall?" I said with a smirk.

Dusty flinched, as if I had burned him, before he came back to his stoic expression. "Yes, I did," he replied simply before pointing a hoof at me, "And how did you find that out?"

I held up the letter before me, giving it a slight wave for emphasis. He shot from his position with his wings, snatched the piece of paper in my hand, and landed again, reading the letter with a critical eye. After a few seconds, He slammed the paper down, and growled to himself as he hung his head. I crossed my arms, my smirk still on my face, "Do you mind explaining that?"

He looked away, probably thinking of exactly what to say, as he pulled his shades away to show his dark blue eyes shifting uncomfortably. Eventually, he looked up at me, and from the look of him he seemed in pain, troubled, something along those lines. "I…" he whispered.

At that moment, the door swung, and Rainbow was standing there with a annoyed stare that I knew was directed towards me. Dusty had stood to attention, his shades back on his snout. Rainbow gave me a sideways glance, studying my exposed face, before stepping out of the doorway to allow the other ponies to come through.

"So… how'd it go?" I asked, but none of them looked me in the eye, especially Carrot Top, who had her eyes clamped shut for some reason. Rainbow did not looked pleased, and everyone else looked apologetic; what exactly would that mean? When they were all out, Twilight finally looked at me with a forced smile. "We, uh, came to an agreement," she expressed with fake happiness.

"Don't sugarcoat it," I deadpanned, and Twilight's smile faded quickly as it was replaced with a sorry look, with a tinge a fear.

"Okay," she said quietly, and took a deep breath. "You can stay…"

I nodded slowly as a gesture to continue.

"but you can't have any of your weapons, we can't help you, and you have to sleep in a rundown shack!"

She spoke so fast that I nearly missed it, and I wish I did. "Are you kidding me!?" I exclaimed, my anger growing with a tad of depression eating its way in.

"Nope," Applejack said with a distant expression, seeming to look somewhat remorseful, if only just. I groaned in exasperation, as I felt like I was at the end of my rope. I ran a hand through my hair as I thought about their decision. I couldn't have my guns with me, which meant I couldn't carry around Vera, my revolver, the last gift Emma gave me, for as long as I stayed, which would probably be forever, if these ponies thought I was with the other humans. I also couldn't get any help, which didn't make much sense in the first place, as I was helping them so they could help me. Finally, I had to sleep in a shack, though that shouldn't be a surprise.

My temper subsided, but I was feeling really hopeless now. "Where's this shack?" I requested as I rubbed my eyes.

{~+~}

The ponies, or more accurately Rainbow Dash, lead me through the intersection that adjoined the building and walked past more as we came to a barren part of the city. It was fairly close to the wall, and it looked like this part wasn't initially part of the city before the wall was erected. Eventually, we came across a shack that looked no bigger than a bedroom, made mostly of wood, and was sagging noticeably.

"Welcome to your new room, human," Rainbow laughed, a cruel smile growing on her face as she hovered beside me.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," I growled, feeling my hands tightened into fists. This is where I'll be sleeping for who knows how long, and it didn't even look like it could shelter me correctly. Not only that, but Rainbow's mocking was really testing my restraint. It was like she was trying to get me to snap and attack her. When I thought about it, it was probably exactly what she was trying to do.

The other ponies looked uncertain, even Applejack was gazing at me like she wished there was something she could do. Rainbow crossed her forelegs, acting like she was getting back at all the humans by picking on me. Sighing depressedly, I walked forward towards the door of the shack, and slowly pulled it open with ease. What awaited inside was atrocious.

The walls had moss growing in certain parts of it, the concrete flooring looked damp, and the bed that was the only piece of furniture had no sheets, pillows, or blankets. Who had lived here before me? They must have abandoned this thing years ago.

"Go on, have a look around," Rainbow snickered, still lingering behind me. I glanced behind me with a firm glare, but that didn't scare her off. Feeling all the unrighteous hate towards me that day had suddenly hit me, and I wasn't happy about it one bit. I was being discriminated by ponies, and for what!? For being the species that had invaded them!?

The wave of anger that washed through me took control of my body as I quickly slipped into the shack and slammed the door with all my might. It may have been childish, but it was the best that I could do without being targeted by these ponies a second time. I stared at the door for awhile, waiting for them to leave.

"Did you _really_ have to tease him?" Carrot Top asked shyly from the other side.

"What did you expect me to do?" she said back with a small chuckle, "You guys told me that he doesn't hurt other ponies, so I might as well get some kicks out of it."

"But was denying our help really the best option?" Twilight asked as I heard hoofsteps leaving the area.

"I said it once, and I'll say it again," Rainbow replied in exasperation, "He's only tricking you to tell that Baron guy where we are. He only did all that so he could sneak in."

"But he's a wanted human, RD," Applejack exclaimed, surprisingly. "Humans were tryin' ta kill him!"

"Just another trick up his sleeves," Rainbow responded as their voices were growing distant. "Don't worry about it, he doesn't mind. Ha! Anyway, about the party we're going to have…"

The voices were gone, and I felt like utter crap. Taking off my combat vest, I rested it along with my mask next to the wall as I climbed into the wobbly bed. It wasn't exactly comfy, but it wasn't like I could change anything about it. Since there was nothing to do then, I decided to sleep early. After all, it had been a tedious and long journey. Giving one final sigh, I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

{~+~}

I opened my eyes, and found that I wasn't in the shack anymore, or even in Las Pegasus. I was standing upright with the environment stretching in infinite white. I knew I was back in my dreams, and that could only mean one thing.

"You better piss off right now," I growled underneath my mask, "I don't have time for your tricks."

I was only answered with silence, which wasn't right. This intruder in my dreams would have tried something or other to lull me in a false sense of security. But there was nothing, no fake imitations, no elaborate deception. Just… nothing.

In the quiet, I heard a footstep, or perhaps just someone shifting his foot, but it was enough for me to catch it. It was surprising at first, but my frame hardened. Whoever was behind this whole debacle with my mind was behind me, I just knew it. As soon as I turned around, I would see the one thing that had caused my nights to be hell for the first few days in this place. With a deep breath, I turned and gazed over to who that one person was.

It was a pony, though that wasn't a shocker, and she was an Alicorn, as she had the wings and horn to point to that assumption. She was also very dark, and she stood out when compared to the bright surrounding. Her coat was a dark sapphire blue, with a mane and tail that were a picture of the night sky itself, flowing magically. This pony was also the biggest I had come across; at least as tall as me, not counting the horn. The last thing I noticed was the tiara on her head, the black necklace around her neck, and her Cutie Mark.

A blob of black with a crescent moon.

"H-Hello, Nolan Anderson," she mumbled nervously.

I didn't say a word, and instead briskly walked over to her. She backed away a little, her face contorted with fear as her eyes widened. When I was a few feet away from her, I stopped, and she closed her eyes while turning away, expecting me to hit her. I really, _really_, wanted to, but something was holding me back, and it made me want to question her first before I gave judgement.

"Are you the bitch that has been messing with me?" I hissed out, clenching my hands shut.

The pony opened one eye slowly, seeing if I would hit her, and then relaxed as she looked at me guiltily. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as she faced the ground. She was having a hard time finding the words, and I was losing the small amount of patience I had with her.

"Answer me, dammit!" I shouted, causing her to jump back in fright. She looked terrified of me, and I didn't know why. If this was a dream, than she couldn't really get hurt here, right? Finally, she gulped, and stood up straight, though I could see that she was shaking.

"I… I am the one who has been interfering with your dreams," she said with as much bravado as she could muster, before lowering her head as her ears folded back. "And… I am dreadfully ashamed of it."

I shook my head, feeling my insides boiling in rage. She thought she could make all of that up by just saying sorry? The world doesn't work like that, and she crossed the line when she thought she could use Emma to her advantage.

"Why?" I asked simply, crossing my arms as I eyed the floor. If she couldn't answer that one question, than I wouldn't be held responsible to what I would do to her.

She sat on her haunches, her hoof pawing at the ground slightly as she thought on how to respond. Eventually, she looked up with a forced smile, "Maybe some introductions are in order. I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night in Equestria."

"I didn't ask who you were," I snapped, causing her to flinch, "I asked 'why', as in, 'why the fuck were you using my dead girlfriend to get to me!?'"

I yelled out the last part, and I didn't regret it. In fact, I actually got a kick out of seeing her squirm a little. It was a sadistic side of me that I wasn't proud of at that point in time. "I-I am sorry, Nolan Anderson," she said with a sob, tears threatening in her eyes. "I did not have a choice in the m-matter."

That made me raise an eyebrow, but she couldn't see it, so I spoke my interest. "What do you mean?"

She looked at the ground pitifully, her eyes quivering as a few drops of water leaked from them. "When I was captured, the Baron locked me in the dungeons, where I still reside. It is only recently that he learned of my power to go into others' dreams. When you became a wanted criminal, the Baron forced me to trick you into revealing your location, so he could… eliminate you."

So it all went back to the humans, and more specifically, the Baron. Still, I was mad that she went along with him, even if she was forced to do it. She wasn't finished, though, and continued, tears flowing faster than before. "At first," she said, with a few sniffs, "I-I refused, as it was abusing my power. But all he did was have others beat me, and I subsided. It was only when you found me out that I decided against assisting the Baron in any way."

She shook her head, "And all he did was have humans beat me each day. I can hardly stand it, but I do not want to use my powers for evil. It was how I became Nightmare Moon in the first place."

I had no idea who Nightmare Moon was, nor did I dwell on it. "So…" I said, rubbing my chin, "You came back to apologize, right?"

She nodded with a sad frown, standing back up with some difficulty. "I had to make right for what I have done," she said, and she cried harder, "especially after what that human did to 'Tia."

That caught my attention, as I looked at her. "'Tia?" I questioned, without any hatred or remorse, just curiosity.

"Celestia, my sister," she informed, breaking back into her cries. I closed my eyes in thought. As far as I could tell, all the ponies acted like Celestia was still alive. LIke she was still working to find a way to free the enslaved ponies. But now, this is confirmation that she is dead and gone.

"How do you know she's dead?" I asked slowly and carefully, feeling slightly bad for being so hard on her.

"I no longer feel her presence," she stated, as her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground with a hollow thud. She made no movement to get up, so I figured she wanted to be there right now. "It was the day that Canterlot fell. 'Tia told me to guide the ponies of the city away to a safe haven, and when we were at the bottom of the mountain… she was gone."

She closed her eyes as her crying took control of her emotions, and I was left with my thoughts. This princess had gone through a lot. Not that any of the ponies had a walk in the park, but Luna must have been tearing herself up for months, forced to succumb to the Baron and the other humans. I didn't forgive her for what she did to me, and I never would, but I could sympathise with her. I didn't know what to say or do at that point; I didn't want to comfort her, but at the same time, I couldn't bear to see her in this state.

"Don't weep for those who are gone," I said monotonically, as I turned around. "Weep for those who are still suffering."

The sobbing was toned down a bit, and a long moment of silence was all there was. "You are a very different human, Nolan Anderson," Luna noted, and I heard her stand back up on her feet. "Though I do not know much about you, I feel as if you have gone through a lot."

"What, you didn't know that already when you entered my dreams?" I said rudely.

"I can only see what emotions stand out the most," she explained, sniffing, "And you have an immeasurable amount of guilt in you about the human girl you loved."

I dipped my head, as I thought about her words. Yeah, I had a lot of guilt for sure. When I looked back, I could see where I had gotten it, too. "I think it's best to leave it at that," I said, glancing back at her. "And… try to resist the Baron."

Luna opened her mouth to protest, which wouldn't be surprising if the beatings were that bad, but she held her tongue and gave a curt nod. It was at that moment that a loud noise that sounded like cheer rang in my head painfully, and I fell, once again, as darkness replaced the white.

* * *

**I consider this my favorite chapter to write so far.**


	8. Chapter 8: Mission

**Lost and Fallen**

**Chapter 8: Mission**

My eyes shot open from the cheer, my mind feeling suddenly groggy. I slowly climbed out of the bed, rubbing my eyes, and went up to the door, opening it. I was greeted with nothing, and when I looked over to the buildings and streets, I could see what had awoken me.

The ponies were having their party; cheering for the return of a princess and the other Elements of Harmony. Lights were lit all along the street, and everyone was having a blast. I could clearly see Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow laughing together, probably talking about the times before the invasion. I couldn't see Pinkie anywhere, but I didn't expect to see her. She was, after all, in depression - and a bit crazy.

Watching the scene, I gave a long sigh, and leaned against the side of the shack. It figures that I was brought out of that dream by a cheer. It must have been really loud to have traveled all the way to me. And the dream itself, with Luna, it got me thinking about Celestia. If the ponies were holding on to hope that she's still alive, then their spy network wasn't as good as I thought. I was quickly brought out of my revery by a grunt from beside me.

"Relax, human," I heard someone growl, and when I looked over, I saw Dusty, sitting there with his whiskey bottle. "There's nothing you're missing."

Just what I needed, a pony that's literally standing outside to watch me. I had forgotten that I was supposed to be monitored. Groaning in irritation, I went around back to have a smoke, and when I walked to the other side, I found there were steps leading to the roof of the shack. Curious, I made my way up, carefully testing the floor to make sure it could support my weight. When it seemed safe enough, I stood in the middle, and gazed upward.

I was amazed by the beautiful night sky that was presented to me, each star standing out like the sun itself. It mesmerized me, and I felt like someone had done it just for me. It was an impossible feat in itself, but it was what I felt. I took out the box that held my cigarettes and took a peek inside, suppressing a groan.

I had six left.

It didn't occur to me earlier that I would eventually run out of cigarettes. I wasn't a heavy smoker, but I knew I would still have withdrawal symptoms and such in due time. Not only that, but I wouldn't have my stress-reliever anymore, and that made it much worse. Shaking the thoughts off, I took out a cigarette and put the box back inside the pouch.

I sat on the ledge of the shack, legs dangling over, which overlooked the momentous party that was taking place. I took out my silver lighter, and within seconds, I had a lit cigarette that I had placed in my lips, taking a long drag from it. My thoughts were my own as I tried to figure out what I was going to do. I couldn't leave this place for whatever reason, I couldn't have Vera, and I wouldn't be able to go back to Earth. Now, instead, I was trapped in this city, caged like a zoo animal, that is, if the animals were being actively hated at the same time.

I had hit a new low, and it wasn't doing anything for my mood. I had that feeling when someone is stuck someplace, and there's no way out. It was very uncomfortable, but who would care what I thought, what I did? To the humans, I was a criminal that needed to be put down like a rabid dog. To the ponies, I was just the enemy, nothing more, nothing less. I took another drag hastily, hoping it would hide away the depression that had suddenly set in. So much for staying positive.

Looking over to the party, seeing the ponies laugh and have a good time, left a hole in me that was already big enough after losing Emma. What was the point of doing anything now?

That was when Carrot Top rounded the corner of a building and came into view. She didn't look too happy herself. Her head was a little low, and in her mouth was a plate holding two muffins. At the sight of the food, my stomach gave a low growl, and I realized I hadn't eaten anything for hours. She continued to trot over to my shack and when she was within a few feet of it, she looked up at the door with saddened eyes. Was she sad because I was treated badly?

"You need something, miss?" Dusty asked rather politely. I didn't think he was capable of such feats.

Carrot Top placed the plate on the ground gently before facing Dusty again, "I just want to give Nolan something to eat."

She must have been unable to see me on the roof. I wasn't too surprised though, there was no light source anywhere near the shack. There was a few moments of silence as Dusty contemplated what to say. Instead of waiting for him to respond, however, I decided to speak up. "I'm up here, Carrot Top," I said softly as to not startle her.

She jumped a little nonetheless, and turned her eyes at me, squinting. After a moment, she gave a sad smile, and picked up the plate again, looking around for someplace to climb up. "There's a set of stairs on the other side," I explained, inhaling more of my smoke.

She quickly trotted to the other side, out of view, and Dusty mumbled, "What makes him so important?"

Ignoring his comment, I listened as Carrot Top made her way up the steps and walked over to me, standing to my left as she placed the plate of muffins between us. Sitting on her haunches, she looked away, as if unsure on what to say or do. I gave a humorous grunt at her behavior and picked up a muffin. Looking it over, it was like any other muffin I've seen from my world. Disregarding any caution, I bit into the muffin, and was shocked by the taste. It was nothing like I had tasted before, and it was too difficult to describe. All I really cared about was savoring the flavor for as long as I could before I swallowed.

"Umm, do you… like it?" Carrot Top questioned slowly, raising a brow with a hint of hope.

I nodded, too busy devouring the delicious muffin. She smiled at that and continued, "Derpy made them. She was always good at it, but she liked eating them more than anything. I had to sneak these away so she wouldn't eat them."

I chuckled as I imagined Derpy eating her own creations without a care. After finishing the muffin, I took another smoke from my cigarette, feeling much better than I did five minutes ago. I faced the party again, my sadness slowly seeping back in. Even with this small break, it wasn't enough to tide over everything that had happened in this city. Glancing over to Carrot Top, she looked to have realized that she couldn't replace my mood, and her ears folded back while she faced the ground.

"Hey," I said, as she looked up at me without moving. "Don't worry about me. I've… gotten through worse. You can head on back if you want."

"I know, but…" she muttered, shaking her head. "But they were just so unfair to you. They wouldn't even listen to you. It just doesn't make sense why you have to stay over here while everyone else is having fun."

She was practically reading my mind, and it was very thoughtful of her to worry about a human like me. "Thanks for your concern," I replied, as I faced the party again, "But it's hard to change how you view someone after what their species does to you."

Carrot Top thought over those words as she remained silent, then she looked up to me with curiosity. "If the ponies hated you so much, then why are you helping us? If what you said about being from another world was true, wouldn't you help the other humans instead?"

"I don't judge others from my first impressions," I explained, my left hand idly rubbing my leg. "I felt like there was a reason why the ponies were acting like they were. And when you told me that they enslaved the ponies here, I knew I would never join their side."

I ran my hand through my hair as I prepared to speak again. "Back in my world, there was a civil war over slavery. One side supported it, and other wanted to abolish it. Differing sides, differing viewpoints, leads to war eventually."

Carrot Top gulped as she looked straight into my eye, "And… who won?"

"I'll tell it like this," I said, a hint of a smile betraying my answer. "Currently, it is illegal to practice slavery. And in everyone's eyes, it's something that any good person will never do."

Carrot Top gave a weak smile, obviously very glad of the outcome. We watched the party that was going on in front of us, simply enjoying the view that the city and the sky gave us. After a few moments, Carrot Top faced me yet again, but was drawn to the object in my hand.

"I've been wondering about this for a while, but what is that?" she asked, pointing a hoof at the cigarette.

I gave a small smirk, "It's a cigarette. It helps me get through tough times."

She continued to examine it, and an idea crossed my mind that caused my smirk to intensify. "Want to try it?"

She was taken back by the question, and uncertain whether to follow through. "I guess," she answered, "It won't hurt, will it?"

I could understand her caution, for I was the same way a few years back, and I was very patient with her. "You may cough a bit, but it's worth a try," I stated truthfully. I wasn't sure if the humans here had cigarettes, or she really had never seen a cigarette before, but it would be worth a little laugh to see how this went. After all, it wasn't like she would try using it again after only one single smoke.

I placed the cigarette in her mouth carefully so it wouldn't fall out, and backed away a little to give her space. It was pretty comical to see a pony with a cigarette, probably because it seemed too unreal if compared to the ponies of my world. "Now what do I do?" she asked, looking down at the cigarette.

"Just inhale from it, and it'll do the rest," I explained, holding back my laughter until the moment arrived. She gave a nod, and inhaled. In an instant, she spit the cigarette out, hacking and coughing like she had breathed in a cup of water. She beat a hoof against her chest as I was laughing my ass off; it was all worth it.

"How… can you… _stand _that stuff?" she asked between fits of coughs.

My laughing diminished after a few seconds, and I eventually controlled my breathing enough to respond to her. "Sorry about that," I said, but the small amount of joy in my voice said otherwise. "I was the same way, and I couldn't resist."

"Hey! What's goin' on up there?" Dusty asked from underneath us, stepping away from the shack to see us.

Carrot Top hastily waved a hoof, still coughing, "N-Nothing is… wrong. Nolan… was just showing me something."

"Keep your human stuff to yourself!" he shouted at me, as he went back to his post, mumbling kid-friendly curses at me.

Taking a deep breath, my attitude swiftly shifted to a somber one. "To answer your question," I started, playing with my hands. "I said it helps me get through tough times, and I wasn't lying. Everyday, it helps me forget about my troubles, if only for half an hour."

At last, Carrot Top had given her last cough as her jaw opened a bit, as if she wanted to speak but feared it would be the wrong thing to say. Instead, she closed her mouth, and scooted over to me, bumping the plate back so she could sit right beside me. Then, without any warning, she leaned into to me, causing me to freeze up.

"Maybe being with a friend can change that," she said nicely, as any response was lost in my head. I hadn't really thought about it, but maybe she was right. Having someone as a friend could- Wait, she considered me a friend? A human?

I didn't say anything, but couldn't stop a smile from creeping on to my face. I guess I considered her a friend too, especially if she's willing to stay with me after my dumbass stunt.

{~+~}

I woke up rather early the next day, feeling a bit sore. I wasn't visited by Luna again, but maybe she thought that was enough for one night. Whatever her reasoning was, it was a good sleep, I had to say. After sitting on the roof for about an hour, Carrot Top and I parted ways, with her going back to the main city, and me just going downstairs. I got out of bed and put on my armor again, I reached for my weapons, but I remembered that the ponies had taken them. Growling slightly, I grabbed my mask, but left it off, thinking it would seem less intimidating towards the ponies.

When I stepped out of my shack, shutting the door behind me, I gazed over to the city to see very few ponies out of bed, and even those that had looked tired. I stood there wondering what I could do that day. I knew I had to find a way to get them to see me as an ally instead of an enemy if I wanted to get anywhere, and that meant mingling with the ponies. That moment, I declared in my head that I would try everything I could to try to get out of this rut that they had put me in. It was my mission.

Glancing to my right, I knew the first thing I had to do was wake up Dusty to 'escort' me, though I found the notion completely ridiculous. It was out of my hands, however, and if I was caught walking alone, I could get shot again, and I might not be so lucky this time. Dusty, himself, was sleeping against the wall of the shed, snoring loudly. Some guard he was.

"Hey," I exclaimed, "Wake up."

All that did was have him wave me off with a hoof as he turned away from me. Rolling my eyes, I spoke up louder than before, "Get up, Dusty, I want to go for a walk."

When the words left my mouth, I realized I was acting like a dog, if dogs could talk that is. Nevertheless, I wanted to get something done today, and I wasn't going to be foiled by a sleepy pony trying to ignore me. "Fine," I said, "I'll just wander by myself."

With a groan, Dusty finally picked himself up, looking over at me with half-closed eyes. "Why can't you just sleep like any other human does at this hour?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"Because I'm not like any other human," I retorted, already walking away, "Now come on, I need to get stuff done."

"What do you mean by that?" Dusty questioned harshly, his tiredness washing away instantly as he trotted to my side. His glare was near piercing, but I was already used to being hated, and it hardly fazed me.

"Relax," I said flatly, "I just want to talk to a few ponies and get to know them."

Dusty looked like he wanted to argue further, but held his tongue for some reason, and we walked towards the main part of the sanctuary in silence. Suddenly, the shot of a gun resonated through the streets and I tensed up, expecting to take another blow. Thankfully, the shot didn't hit me, nor did I think it was intended for me. Dusty wasn't bothered by the gunshot, and in fact was raising a brow at me. I relaxed my body, and looked around for the origin of the shot. Another bang caught my attention, and I looked down the street to see an open area where a building should be, but was noticeably absent. Like one of those small sandlots in the city.

Deciding to investigate, I made my way for the area, and when it came to view, I saw a surprising sight. A Unicorn was levitating a gun as she aimed down the sights of what looked like a makeshift firing range. An old-fashioned red and white target was on the other end, and it was obvious that was what the pony was aiming for. The pony herself - as it was a female - had a light blue coat and a pale blue mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was a wand and a sway of magic, at least that was what it looked like to me.

I grew closer to get a better look, wanting to see how well ponies could shoot guns, but mostly to see where these ponies got them in the first place. The pony heard my approaching footsteps and turned, showing an unamused face. She gave off a smug grin that just oozed with superiority, and I knew I wasn't going to like what she had to say. "Oh, the big bad human wants to see the Great and Powerful Trixie shoot a gun," she taunted, lowering the weapon a bit.

"Great and Powerful?" I questioned when I was close enough, crossing my arms as Dusty stood by my side. "You look like a normal Unicorn to me."

"Well, that's because your feeble little mind can't comprehend the magnitude of her magic ability," she responded. Talk about snooty; I was willing to bet not even the other ponies liked when she was around.

"Right," I drawled, not wanting to start a big argument over her capabilities with magic, seeing as I have no idea how well she was with magic. "What are you doing anyway?"

"If you _must _know," Trixie said exasperatedly, looking back down the range. "Trixie is practicing with these guns."

She talks in the third person, wonderful. "And how's that going for you?" I questioned, unable to suppress a smirk. The ponies couldn't be very good to begin with, seeing as they aren't even used to war.

However, Trixie simply shot a smirk back at me. "Trixie would have to say she's pretty good," she said, as she glanced at me, "She did shoot you."

I failed to stop my shock as I blinked in surprise. I knew some pony must have shot me, as there was no chance it was a human, but to face that pony so soon was too convenient in my opinion. "You," I emphasized with a pause, pointing a finger at her, "shot _me_?"

She nodded with a proud look on her. "Hold your applause, human," she said, holding up a hoof, "It was an incredible feat that only the Great and Powerful-"

"Anybody could have made that shot," I interrupted, putting a hand on my hip. Trixie lost her egotistical look as she looked at me in disbelief. I wasn't saying that because I was jealous, but in fact it was true. Seeing as I was about five yards away from the wall, she may have shot me through a crack, and that can't have been difficult. Even a recruit at the Police Station could pull it off. Trixie shook off her stupor and gave the same glare everyone else had given me.

"That is impossible," she said, waving the gun around like it wasn't loaded, putting me on edge. "From what Trixie has seen, no other can shoot like her."

"Exactly how many times have you seen someone else shoot?" I questioned, getting really tired of her obnoxious attitude.

"Why, many other Unicorns here, of course," she explained, her irritating smile returning, "And I doubt a human can repeat what the Great and Powerful-"

"I bet I can," I interrupted again. I was mostly interrupting her so she would stop saying that stupid line of hers. I mean, seriously? How self-centered could one pony be? Trixie was doubtful as she looked me over before simply staring at me.

"Trixie thinks you are lying," she announced, making me furrow my brow at her.

"I can prove it," I said, displaying my hand for her to put the gun. Before Trixie or I could do anything else, Dusty jumped in between us, his eyes set on me as he shook his head repeatedly.

"Nice try, human," he spat, "There's no way you'll get a gun like that."

I was going to argue that I just wanted to put Trixie in her place, but I knew he wouldn't believe me. So instead, I rubbed my eyes, and walked away, Dusty following behind.

"Ha!" Trixie shouted from the shooting range, "Maybe next time, you'll remember not to mess with the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Holy crap, that girl was infuriating!

Taking many deep breaths to calm myself, I strolled down the street, admiring the plantlife as ponies tended to them. They were only watering and picking fruit, but I was still reeling over the thought of a whole street being a garden. I focused my mind back to the matter at hand, which was still to get on these ponies good sides. And I knew where to start.

"Dusty," I asked, and he grunted to show that he was listening, "Where can I find the medical place here?"

Halting in his tracks, Dusty looked at me, his shades doing well to hide his emotions. "Why in all of Equestria do you want to go there?"

I shrugged, stopping a few paces ahead as I looked over my shoulder to him, "Just want to help."

Dusty scoffed, continuing his walking, "Right, like a human like you just wants to help ponies."

He was half right on that. Though I may not be like the humans here at all, I had an ulterior motive to assisting the doctors here. It kind of made me sad that he was right about me. That's when I noticed that he was walking away from me, heading near the entrance of the sanctuary. He must have been leading me to the medical area, and I aptly followed along, jogging a bit to catch up with him. If I knew anything, it was that the best way to show that one wasn't evil was to help the doctors. It wasn't like I could hurt anyone, and I'd get points for helping them out.

In a few minutes, Dusty brought me to a building that had only one floor. The large red plus sign pointed to the conclusion that it was a clinic back in the day. He gestured his hoof towards the building, a silent way of showing that this was the place. Nodding in understanding, I briskly made my way to the wooden door and swung it open.

"Unless you're sick or injured, come back later. We're busy," a feminine voice instantly said from a desk, where a Pegasus pony was sorting through papers with a concentrated expression. She was pink, like Pinkie, but had a blonde mane and tail. I couldn't see her Cutie Mark, but it hardly mattered at the time. The room was small, and a few chairs to my left were the only furniture. A door to my right lead to the rest of the building.

"I, uh, wanted to help with anything you had," I explained, stepping through the door while rubbing the back of my neck.

"We don't need assistance currently, so I must insist that-" she stopped herself as she faced me, jerking her head back in surprise. She was not expecting a human to be here, that was for sure. However, she quickly turned back to a bored and irritated gaze.

"What do you want, human?" she said with a sigh.

"I just told you what I wanted," I replied, trying to be patient with her.

Sighing again, she hopped off the chair she was seated at and walked around the desk to come over to me. This time, I could see her Cutie Mark, which was a golden Caduceus, showing that her profession was definitely medical. "Look, no offense, but I doubt our patients want to be 'helped' by a human," she stated plainly.

She was probably right. Why would a pony want to be helped by the species that enslaved them? Still, I had to persist. "I don't have to help the ponies," I insisted, taking a few steps forward, which made her take a few steps back. "I could… sweep the floors or something."

It was very obvious that I was desperate to help around, and that could be a good thing or a bad thing. It may show that I truly wanted to assist them, or it could show that I wanted to _look_ like I wanted to help them. I hoped they thought it was the former.

The Pegasus pony gave me an odd look, attempting to judge my intentions as I stood there, silently wishing she would accept. It was at that moment, another pony walked in with a large stack of papers levitating in his magic.

"Angel, did you get those files I asked for?" the stallion asked, unable to see me thanks to the paper stack that was directly between his eyesight and me. From what I could see, he had a light blue coat that was a shade darker than Rainbow Dash's, and a messed up light brown mane and tail.

"I was," she said disdainfully, keeping her eyes on me. "Until the human came by."

"Human?" the stallion said, shifting the papers away from his eyes to see me for the first time. His eyes widened to a humorous size as he blinked at my appearance. "Oh."

A long and awkward silence came down on us like a wave of water, as I wasn't sure what to say at this point. Dusty slipped by me, looking between me and the doctor as he raised a brow behind his shades. "Yeah, he's a human," he said nonchalantly, shaking the doctor out of his stare.

"So he is," the doctor agreed, with a nervous chuckle. "Can… I help you?"

"I-"

"He was just leaving," the nurse interrupted, walking towards the doctor. "We can't have a human making the patients nervous."

The doctor lifted a hoof and rubbed his chin in thought, "Quite true, I suppose…"

"Look, just listen for five minutes," I put in, clenching my fists. "I want to help around here for a little while, maybe get to know you guys."

"Get to know us?" the doctor repeated, tilting his head, "That doesn't sound human."

"That… what?" I responded dumbly. I wasn't expecting a response like that.

"I have never heard a human say those words before," the doctor elaborated, "Granted, I haven't met any humans before, but from the reports from the spies, I'd say you're the first that wanted to 'help' ponies."

"You do know why that is, don't you, Doctor Styles?" the nurse asked harshly, "Humans are_enslaving_ ponies here."

"Yes, yes, I understand that," Doctor Styles waved off, "But the tone, how desperate he is, it's unheard of."

That pony. That pony with the medical degree, was the very first to say that I wasn't like the others, besides Carrot Top. I wanted to shout out a thanks to whatever deity was watching over me for giving me a break, but I knew that it was weird to even think of doing that. Instead, I said, "Yeah, well, I'm not like other humans."

It was getting really old repeating that line to almost every pony I came across, but it seemed to be requirement at the same time. The doctor was instantly over me, the stack of papers leaving his magic hold, floating to the floor in a mess, as he looked at me every which way. It was a bit uncomfortable being this closely examined by a pony, but he was a doctor, so he must have known what he was doing. He even used magic to drag me to his level to look over everything above my torso, which was pretty startling the first time.

After a few minutes of examination, he stepped back, with the nurse walking up to his side. "Why did you do that, Direct?" she questioned cautiously, as if she was afraid of the answer. "Besides doing the basic physical test."

"I have a feeling about this one," he mumbled, squinting his eyes at me, "I can't put my hoof on it."

Feeling like the conversation was going nowhere, I opted to change the subject back on track. "Can I just have something to do in this city?" I said, my head rolling back in exasperation.

"Perhaps you could…" the doctor muttered, making me turn to him, eagerly anticipating the rest of that sentence. I had to start somewhere to get anywhere, and if I had to clean the floor with a toothbrush, than by God I would.

"You can't be serious," Dusty said, shaking his head disapprovingly, "He's a _human_."

"And you're a pony," he snapped back, pointing a hoof at him, "she's a pony, and I'm a pony."

"And that's supposed to mean…?" Dusty followed up, leaving the sentence hanging.

"What I mean is that though he may be a human, he might not be the humans we know."

"Don't get philosophical with me, Doc," Dusty practically begged, putting a hoof over his muzzle.

"Then instead I shall do research," Doctor Styles exclaimed, putting a hoof in the air in declaration. "You wouldn't, by chance, know where Princess Twilight is, would you?"

"She's probably in the library," Dusty said, nudging his head to the door behind me. As quick as a flash, Doctor Styles was out the door, leaving us in bewilderment. The nurse, rolling her eyes, chased after him. It was just Dusty and me standing there, and we weren't sure what to do now.

"What is he up to?" I asked, more to myself than to Dusty while looking towards the door.

"He does that more than I'd like," Dusty said with a sigh, and I involuntarily chuckled.

"Dusty!" the unmistakable voice of Rainbow Dash shouted through the streets, "Where are you and that human!?"

She sounded pretty frantic and panic-stricken, maybe even a bit pissed. Dusty brushed past me as he trotted to the door, stopping just outside the entrance. "Over here, Dash," he hollered, and Rainbow landed right in front of him as he stood at attention.

"And the human?" she questioned with a straight stare.

"In the building," he said, and I stepped out to present myself. She looked skeptical for a second, looking at me, the building, then me again.

"Why were you in there?" she asked in an aggressive tone, walking over to me in an intimidating fashion.

"I wanted to help around, see if I could get you guys to believe me," I expressed honestly, shrugging my shoulders. I had no reason to hide what I was doing. If anything, she would see me in a new light, even if it was a bad one.

"Sure, whatever," she said rolling her eyes, looking back at Dusty, "Get to the Post Office, I'm going to Appleloosa."

If Dusty wasn't wearing his shades, I would swear his eyes widened. "You're heading there!? Are you going-?"

"Dusty!" Rainbow hissed, shifting her eyes towards me. He, too, glanced at me, his jaw open in shock before closing shut and giving me his cold stare. Of course, another bloody secret that they're keeping from me. I wondered if it was the same one that Derpy nearly let slip.

"Just head to the Post Office," she repeated, launching back to the air.

Dusty turned to me, "Alright, back to the shack, buddy."

"Like hell!" I exclaimed, throwing my arm to the side for emphasis, "Take me to the Post Office, I want to know what's going on."

"Why?" he snapped, walking up to me, poking my stomach, "So you can report to the humans. To the Baron!"

"No!" I screamed, "Get it through your thick skull, you son of a bitch! I'm not with them!"

I had lost my temper, and I didn't regret it. All that built up tension just burst out of me like a shaken up bottle of soda mixed with a whole pack of mentos. I was tired of everyone just accusing me for something I wasn't even involved with. Hell, I didn't even know about this place until a week ago!

"Well if you're so sure of it," he shot back, as he glared at me, "then prove it! Show that you're not with them!"

"I don't have any-" I stopped myself, a realization hitting me.

"Yeah, that's right," he taunted, "You can't because you don't have any proof!"

I didn't say a word, mostly because I was still in shock of my stupidity for not bringing it out sooner. Carrot Top had told them about my bounty, but they still didn't believe it. If they wanted solid proof, they were going to get it.

Dropping my mask to the ground,I reached into my pocket, dragging out the few papers I had accumulated over my travels thus far. Dusty simply raised a brow, not seeing the significance of a piece of paper. I quickly rifled through the papers and found the bounty that I had picked up in Ponyville.

"Remember when Carrot Top said I was wanted?" I asked, my voice oozing with suppressed rage at both myself and the pony.

"Yeah," he replied slowly, "What of it?"

I threw the bounty to the ground, "There's your proof."

I would have felt better about myself once I saw his face fall as he read the poster, but I was still ticked off about the situation as a whole. He read it over and over again, glancing between the amount of bits on my head and the image itself. He also looked up once in awhile, comparing the picture and myself. Finally, he sighed, taking off his shades with a hoof as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Alright," he muttered, as if he hated to admit it himself, slipping his shades back where they belonged, "So you may not be with the humans, but that doesn't mean that we fully trust you."

"Like I give a shit about that," I said, crouching and snatching my mask and poster again, "Just take me to the Post Office."

He had no basis for an objection, but he was digging real deep for one. I could tell. Eventually, he gave a curt nod, avoiding eye contact with me as he began walking for the Post Office. I stood still for a moment, trying to absorb what had just happened. In a sense, I was finally being trusted, if only by a slight margin. They couldn't say I was with the humans in this world, but I doubt they thought I was completely off the hook. Shaking out my thoughts, I quickly caught up with Dusty as he rounded the corner. I hoped I would be getting somewhere.

{~+~}

The Post Office entered my sight as we rounded another corner of the streets. It was rather simple looking, with only one floor and a small lot adjacent to it. That same lot had many ponies surrounding what looked like three wooden delivery trucks. As Dusty and I neared them, however, they all had one very obvious difference: they had no compartment for the drivers to sit, and were replaced with a carriage-like area where the ponies could hook themselves up to it.

"Quiet down, everypony," Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she stood atop the vehicle, causing the crowd to go silent. "Now, I know this is a risky mission, but you all know this is important."

Many members of the crowd dipped their heads, whether in thought or sadness, I didn't know. As I scanned the ponies, I saw Applejack, Twilight, Derpy, and Carrot Top amongst them, including those I had met that day. Pinkie, once again, was not there. One pony caught sight of me, which caused a chain reaction as the crowd slowly saw my entrance to the area, whispering to each other in discontent.

Stopping short of coming too close, I looked up at Rainbow, who scowled at me, or maybe it was Dusty, considering he had brought me here. "What are _you_ doing here?" she questioned, pointing an accusatory hoof at me.

I shrugged, "Seeing what's going on. Why? You hiding something?"

"From a filthy human like you," a pony from the crowd added, "Of course we are!"

Dusty sighed with a shake of his head. "Rainbow," he called to her, looking at his hooves, "He's… well, not with the other humans."

Raising a brow, Rainbow glided to the ground, landing right in front of Dusty. "I thought you'd be the last person to say that," she admitted, glancing at me as I crossed my arms. "What happened?"

Without waiting for anything else, I revealed my wanted poster that I was still clutching in my hands. No one was really stunned by the display, but Rainbow stepped closer to it, squinting at it. Then, her jaw dropped.

"The Baron even signed!?" she squeaked, causing a collective gasp from the crowd. He did? Why didn't I see it? I turned the poster to myself, but still didn't see what she meant. Looking over to Dusty, he was nodding grimly at Rainbow's claim, making more of the crowd nervous.

I faced the poster once again, but this time I looked for anything that was out of the ordinary, and that was when I spotted it. It was incredibly small, so I was surprised that the ponies were able to see it at all, though they were probably used to looking for it on stolen documents. It was a small scribble on the bottom right corner that I must have passed off for an accidental mark. I was willing to bet that it was the Baron's signature, as Rainbow had pointed out.

"So that means…?" Carrot Top said walking out of the crowd with a puzzled expression.

"It means," Rainbow emphasised, suddenly getting in her face fearfully, which made Carrot Top jump back. "He really _is_ a wanted human!"

Seriously? That was all that it meant? From her reaction, one would think I was a legendary monster coming back from the grave. "What's so special about that?" I questioned, putting all the attention on myself, "I told you I wasn't with them."

"You don't understand, do you?" Derpy whispered, stepping from the crowd, "If you're wanted by the humans, then that means your a bigger threat than we thought!"

You have got to be fucking kidding me! I finally prove I'm not with the humans, and all it got me was that I was a bigger danger than before, in their eyes at least. "Well, I really dug my own grave, didn't I?" I muttered to myself, closing my eyes to clear my thoughts.

The ponies were talking amongst themselves, ignoring my presence for the time being. Not that I was complaining, it gave me a chance to think up a response. As I tuned out the noise, I weighed my options. I could simply leave and find the rest of the Elements of Harmony without their help, which would probably be a bad idea, seeing as I have no idea where I would go. I could also just stay here for the rest of my life, but I tossed that idea out as fast as it had entered my mind.

Then, there was compromise.

"Hey," I said, returning back to reality, but everyone was talking too loud to hear me. "Hey!" I shouted, and they listened that time. I wasn't sure why, but I think the fear factor had something to do with it. "Why don't you guys try giving me a chance instead of shunning me away, huh?!"

Rainbow Dash looked to the side, her eyes unfocused as she thought about it. Then she turned to her friends, who took silent demeanor for a question.

"He can get a job done," Applejack admitted quietly, "And I don't think I could've gotten out of Ponyville without him."

The other ponies in my group agreed with her statement, and Rainbow glanced at me again, her face unreadable. Then, he face lit up like an idea had struck her, and she gave a sly smile. Why did I have a bad feeling suddenly?

"Give you a chance…" Rainbow repeated as she strolled over to me, her smile getting wider. "Okay, how about this? I have to… do something at Appleloosa. If you can get it done, then we _might_ give you the benefit of the doubt."

I held my breath as I asked the obvious question, "And if I fail?"

"Then the humans kill you," she said like she was just telling me the weather. "Either we get the mission done, or you die. It's a win win situation."

"For you it is," I grumbled, knowing full well that I had no choice if I wanted to get back to Earth in the long run. Sighing, I glanced at Rainbow again with contempt, "Fine, what do I have to do in… Appleloosa?"

"_That_," she said, her smirk getting even bigger as she turned away with her nose in the air. "is a secret."

I gaped at her, and a few of the ponies hid their laughs at my dismay. "How do you expect me to accomplish a mission I know nothing about?!" I shouted, throwing down my mask in rage.

She glanced back with that sly look that made me seriously reconsider her offer. "You'll know what to do when you see it," she explained, walking over to the carriage. "Now get in, or you'll be left behind."

What did she mean by that? Would it be that obvious? Still, I was about to run to the carriage when a thought struck me. Turning to Applejack, who was still wearing her saddle bags, I crouched down and held my hand out, confusing her. "Can I have my weapons?" I asked firmly, causing the crowd to hush itself.

Applejack, looking conflicted, glanced at Rainbow, who rolled her eyes with a grimace, but nodded. Given permission, I reached into her saddle bags, and pulled out my stuff, putting it on their respective places. My shotgun on my back, my revolver in my holster, and my knife in its sheath on my shoulder. It felt good getting my stuff back, and now I was ready for anything.

As quick as a whip, I climbed into the back of the truck-like carriage, and the doors were closed behind me by the ponies. There were a few moments of wait before we set off for Appleloosa, which I used to get comfortable in the empty compartment. We were soon moving, but then, completely unexpected, we took off. We were off the ground, from what the vertigo was telling me, and soaring through the air.

I panicked a bit, as would anyone who was trapped in an enclosed space miles above the air, but I soon settled down as I got used to it. I had no idea how far the town we were heading for was, but it had to be pretty far, and I decided to get some sleep. It would be a long flight, and an even longer mission afterwards. I leaned against the paneling of the compartment and drifted off to sleep.

{~+~}

I was instantly awoken by the rough landing as we ran through a bunch of large rocks, based on the bumpy ride I had. When the carriage stopped, I pulled myself off the floor I had fallen onto and stumbled my way through the dark and to where I thought the back of the compartment was. When I found the wall, I pushed to open it. I felt resistance, so I pushed harder, and suddenly the resistance was gone, making me fall through the open doors and onto…

Sand.

Lots and lots of sand.

From where I was lying, I found an endless sea of sand in all directions, with quite a few mesas scattered around. As I pushed myself to my feet yet again, brushing my clothing off, I saw cacti as well, with dry bushes mixed in. We were in another desert, and the sun was in the afternoon position.

"Enjoying the scenery, human?" Rainbow quipped as she stepped to my side.

Growling, I turned back to the carriage, and saw two other carriages as well, pulled by a few other Pegasi. Why would they need to bring so many transport vehicles here, in the middle of nowhere?

"Your mission is to head to Appleloosa," Rainbow instructed, walking past the carriages as I followed along. "Once there, infiltrate a prison that's on the other end of the town."

A small town came into view, and even from this distance, I could tell it was an old Frontier town, straight from the Wild West from my world. Equestria was getting way too close to Earth. I pointed at the town, "That's Appleloosa?"

"Yep."

"Alright, so what am I supposed to do at this prison?" I asked, rubbing my chin as I was already thinking up a plan.

"You'll see when you get there," Rainbow said, reminding me why this mission was so bad for me. As I looked at her, prepared to complain about the vagueness of her answers, I saw that she didn't have her usual smirk. Instead, she had a frown that held sadness and despair. She caught me staring and quickly shook out of it, putting on a neutral face.

"J-Just get it done, human," she said heading back to the carriage to hook herself back up.

"Wait," I called as she used her mouth to tighten the belt on herself. "What do I do when I finish the mission at the prison?"

"Then lead them to Saddle Mesa," she ordered, pointing to a mesa that did indeed look like a saddle on the top. I turned back to ask to clarify, but she had taken off already, just missing me. "Be there by tomorrow at midnight, or we'll leave you here!"

"You have to give me more than that!" I complained loudly, but it was futile as the three carriages were too far to hear me. I turned back to the town with a huff, my hand still clutching my mask. I had little choice, but if it got me home, then it would all be worth it in the end.

Taking a deep breath, I walked through the desert, heading for my destination. The blaring heat was much worse than in Las Pegasus. I didn't know what it was, but the sun must have been at least ten degrees hotter, and that made a lot of difference. As I neared, the town I had already seen the familiar things I would see in Ponyville. Ponies enslaved and humans walking around like they owned the place.

There were differences, though, which made the area unique. The humans wore white jackets and dirtied pants, with a strange scarf-like belt around their waists. Also, because the town was smaller, the streets were crowded, making it chaotic for everyone. The last thing I noticed was the familiarity of the town compared to one in the late 1800's. I had watched quite a few Western films when I was young, but the situation didn't call for me to gush over everything because of nostalgia.

I idly faced the clear blue sky, glad to see that I wouldn't have to worry about rain. Then, I saw a blue pony zoom across the sky. The pony was so fast that I only caught a glimpse before it was out of sight. It had to be a pegasus - what other pony could fly like that? - but what was it doing exactly? Did Rainbow Dash already have spies here? Shaking my head, I continued on my way; I could ask Rainbow Dash later.

That was when I spotted the prison. It was really big, almost as wide as the town itself, and it was mostly made of cobblestone. Watch towers were on each corner, and guards patrolled the outside. The sheer size of the place made me think that the towns purpose was just for the prison. As I examined it from a distance, though, the look of the prison felt too fresh, too new. If I had to make a conclusion, I would say that the prison was built recently.

Now the question was how I would infiltrate without drawing attention. From the looks of it, it wouldn't have some secondary way of entering, as a large gate took up the front, facing the rest of the town. A disguise would be better suited for the mission, so I could move freely once I get inside. I just needed some drabs and I could-

"Out of the way," someone exclaimed, roughly shoving me out of the way. As I quickly regained balance, I looked over to who had pushed me, and saw a line of people heading straight for the prison. They were probably new recruits for the building, as they all had bags slung over the shoulders, no doubt holding personal items.. Well, there was my ticket in.

Thinking fast, I looked to the back of the line to see a mildly-built young person that was nervous for whatever reason. I could take him out, hide his body, steal his clothes, and then get back in line before anyone noticed. Hopefully that was all I had to worry about, unless these guys had a secret code or something.

Ignoring the risks in my plan, I briskly walked to the back of the line, surveying the area for any straying eyes. Though the area was crowded, I could use it to my advantage and hide in plain sight. When I reached the person in the back, I tapped his shoulder. He jumped from the sudden touch, and whipped his head towards me, eyes wide.

"Hey, can I talk with you a second," I request, jabbing a thumb towards an alley; nothing suspicious about that.

The man rubbed his head, glancing around, "I don't know. I was told to stick with this unit."

"Fine," I said, feigning surrender with a shrug, "I guess I'll have to tell the Baron that you didn't listen. I'm sure he'll love to hear your explanation."

He went really pale when I mentioned the Baron, and hastily ran for the alley without any more motivation, scared out of his wits. That had worked pretty easily. Keeping a smile hidden, I strolled to the same alley, acting as normal as possible. When I was in the darkened area with the other guy, he looked around fearfully.

"So, what does the Baron want?" he asked, looking directly behind himself in a paranoid fashion..

I took out my revolver, "Absolutely nothing."

And before he could make another move, I clopped him over the head with the handle. I holstered my revolver afterwards, and he swayed for a second before tumbling down to the floor face first, his brown leather bag falling with a thud by his side. This time, I failed to hide my smug grin, the plan coming to fruition as I crouched down to his prone form. I still had to hurry, as the line of people wouldn't wait for me.

"Better get this on," I muttered, taking off my holster.

{~+~}

As I promptly put in the last boot that was required of the uniform, I knew I was running out of time. The the outfit was a size too small, but it fit me nonetheless, and I didn't really care if the shirt was a bit too tight. I picked up my bag, holding my armor, shotgun, and other clothing, and bolted out of the alleyway, confident that the unconscious man wouldn't wake or be found until morning. It was a good thing these buildings had storage rooms behind them.

I saw the line already starting to enter, with a short man holding a clipboard, probably checking to make sure all the men were there. I rushed all the way there, hoping I would make it on time as the last guy in line was being checked off by the guy with the clipboard. When I finally reached over there, I was breathing pretty hard, standing at attention.

The guy with the clipboard, who was short with balding brown hair and an overweight frame, looked up from the object in his hands, giving me a glare. "You're late," he remarked gruffly, "I'll have to mark you on that. What's your name?"

"It's…" I hesitated, knowing I couldn't use my real name as it would give me away some time in the future. "Chris, sir."

It felt strange to acknowledge these humans, who had treated the innocent ponies here unfairly, as someone above me. But I had to keep appearances up. The balding man glanced up narrowing his eyes at me. "Chris, eh?" he asked with a snort, scribbling my name on the clipboard. Then, clearing his throat, he said, "You're officially under the control of Miss Megan, the current Warden. Whatever she says goes, no objections. Are we clear?"

He glanced up at me for my answer, and though I had no intention to follow this Warden, I still had this feeling that I should watch my step around here. "Yes sir," I reply with a nod. When I thought about this Warden's name, I realized it was a woman's name. This would be the first time I heard of a woman at all in Equestria, granted I had only been in one town. I guess I'd have to see what she was like when I met her, if I ever did.

The man in front of me grunted and gestured inside towards the gates where the other recruits were already waiting in a dark room that must have led to the other side of the room, probably to a courtyard. When I entered, the man behind me came in as well, closing the door behind us and putting us in complete darkness.

Before I could question why we were standing around in a pitch black room, the door in front of us began to slide open, gears whirring like crazy to do as they were intended. My eyes were used to the darkness at that point, so the sudden light made me flinch and cover my eyes. The door clanked to a stop as the recruits moved forward, from the sound of it. I followed along, my eyes too blurry to make anything out.

To better adjust my eyes, I faced the ground, and the lighting slowly got better as I blinked a few times. Then I faced forward to see where we were, and it only took a few seconds for me to register what was going on around me. My heartbeat quickened as my jaw dropped, my eyes wide in shock. I lost my grip on my bag as it fell out of my hand, but I hardly cared as I stared at the scene, still trying to wrap my head around it. The sight nearly made me fall to my knees as I tried to control my breathing.

Foals.

Pony children all over the courtyard.

They were holding kids in a prison.


End file.
